Black Wings
by Akino Ame
Summary: Discontinued. Alternate With Broken Wings. There's no saying what the right choice and the wrong choice is. But it always has an effect on the future. And in the end, there are always regrets.
1. Broken

_"In each timeline, there is a crux point, a single event in the past that caused all things after it to change. The more different the world, the earlier the crux point occurs.  
"Choices, to go left or right. When who dies and who lives is a split second decision, the world can be changed in an instant…"  
-Karla, "Digital City Diaries" Universe, by the Diaries Guild_

_"Of all the hatreds, the ones between families are the cruelest."  
-Flint, Dragons of Winter Night_

_Recommended Music:  
Prologue and Scene 1: "Oreta Tsubasa de/With Broken Wings," Digimon Frontier  
Scene 2: "Say Goodbye," Witch Hunter Robin  
Scene 3: "Fly to Me," Chihiro Onitsuka  
Scene 4: "The World," extra version, .hack/SIGN  
Scene 5, part one: "Say Goodbye," .hack/SIGN  
Scene 5, part two through Scene 7: "My Last Breath," Evanescence  
Scene 8: "Sakura 4," gentle strings version, Xenosaga II_

Black Wings  
She cringed as the young slave fell to the sand from the blow of the weighted whip upon his back. Never once did he show his pain, but it was obvious that he could barely remain conscious, let alone walk back to the base. And so much seemed to be wrong with him—cuts and bruises all over his arms, a left arm slightly shorter than the right due to old fractures, and—oh, God, were those white scars on his wrists from suicide attempts? Normally, she hated the concept, but with what he'd been through, she wouldn't blame him if he _had _tried to kill himself.

"Do you know who this is?" the Kaiser demanded of her, his words acidic and burning. Did he have to keep doing this? Did he have to keep showing her his own eyes, so identical to her savior's?

All she could do was shake her head in the hope of being able to avoid those eyes.

"Good," he continued, "a slave who knows her place, unlike this piece of trash here!" He whistled loudly, summoning an Airdramon before kicking the boy in the ribs. "Get on the Airdramon!" He kicked him again and dealt another blow with the whip, and then lifted him by the back of his shirt and threw him onto the Digimon. "Something tells me you won't be sharing his fate," the Kaiser commented to her. He kept one foot on the injured slave and slowly added pressure as they flew toward base. She merely removed the young man's defuser from her mouth, spitting out sand, and wrapped the cord around her wrist. In her arms was his jacket. It was so wrong…so wrong that someone had to be beaten like that just because he was Wolfmon and Garmmon.

"Sakiko! Sakiko!" called her cellmates, Kotemon and Koemon, as they ran to her.

"We have to help Kouji!" Kotemon declared.

"His name is Kouji?" Koemon asked. "The Kaiser's brother is named Kouji?"

"I can't…" she managed to say.

"Sakiko?" Koemon questioned.

"Sakiko, please, you have to help!" Kotemon pleaded, but her shocked expression affirmed his dashed hopes. He grabbed Koemon's hand in his free one and announced, "Fine then. We'll do it ourselves."

They didn't even make it to base. With their slow running pace, they were caught immediately and taken to Reiyama, who killed them on the spot for learning that boy's identity. Other slaves scavenged the abandoned food and blanket, which were unable to reach their destination.

A young man with spiky black hair and gold-framed glasses stepped up to her. He was neither a Resistance slave nor an Imperial flunkey. He was merely a stranger who had taken it upon himself to watch over things.

"He saved your life," he commented, but she didn't react. "Kouji Minamoto saved your life, and _this_ is how your repay him?" She couldn't say anything; she was still frozen by the horror that was Kouichi Kimura, the Digimon Kaiser. Disappointed, the young man turned and left in desperation.

She was Sakiko Ayamisa, formerly one of the best Yokohama's Resistance force had to offer, the daughter of assassinated human rights activist Nari Ayamisa.

He was Osamu Ichijouji, former child prodigy up until his death at age eleven, the older brother of the last Kaiser, Ken Ichijouji.

And he was going to do whatever he could in order to stop this.

Chapter One: "Broken"

Osamu ran through cell after cell in his invisible and intangible spirit form. He didn't care if he stepped through anyone—just as long as he got to Cell 24.

Finally, he made it—no more than fifteen seconds after Kouichi left. Kouji, his twin brother and not even twelve years old, hung limply on the wall, suspended by black electronic shackles and concealed by a thick layer of darkness. No, that wasn't quite right. Yes, Kouji was very young and in this awful situation, but Kouichi's actions thus far had made it obvious that they were no longer brothers. All ties bonding them had been savagely hacked, like Kouji's scarred wrists.

Burning guilt hit Osamu then, and he would have cried if this form allowed him tears. How many years ago had he hit his own younger brother just for heeding Destiny's call? Three? Maybe four? He wasn't sure. Little Ken had been so afraid and devastated, just as Kouji was and would soon be again if things didn't change.

A sense of purpose flooded him and caused the Light Seed in his wrist to start beating as a heart would. Osamu's form solidified into an eleven-year-old body with a glowing left hand. He heard Kouji's father demand to know who he was, but he refused to acknowledge it. With the intense light in his palm, he burned away at the dark veil, creating a single shine of white amongst the gray shadows of Cell 24.

The infamous fury of Osamu Ichijouji lived again as he tore the shackles off the captive's wrists and ankles, throwing them to the floor as he carried Kouji to his family.

"We have to go now," he insisted. "Kouichi is going to kill you tonight. I can help get you out of here."

"Kouji's too badly injured to make it," Tomoko Kimura informed. "There's no way we'd make it without being caught." Osamu glanced at the limp, unresponsive body he held. He didn't want to admit it, but the woman was right.

"We could leave him for now, and I can come back for him later." He said those words, but even he couldn't believe they'd come from his mouth.

"We can't," Satomi Minamoto replied. "This family needs to stay together—all of us." Osamu looked at her baby, Kouri, who seemed to say the same.

"Whatever happens, we won't leave my brothers," her eyes affirmed.

The final dismissal came from Kousei Minamoto, who put his hands on Osamu's shoulders in an attempt to comfort him. "I know you mean well, but this isn't the right time or place for an escape. Whether you succeed in saving us or not, no one will hold you accountable for this. We all have choices to make. This is ours."

Osamu nodded reluctantly and left the family for the last time. It was sunset already. He had a little more than an hour and a half to act. To him, destiny meant nothing and fate didn't exist. That gave him the perfect excuse to defy them. Vowing to fulfill his unspoken pledge to protect the Minamoto boy and his family, he headed toward Mt. Fuji.

* * *

Perhaps an even sadder drama played out in Osamu's home world, where a boy not even ten years old sat almost all alone in his room in the psychiatric ward of a hospital near his hometown of Odaiba. His only companion was a Baby II level Digimon called Upamon. In fact, he was the only friend Iori Hida had left. Everyone else had either died or left. 

Shin Kido, an apprentice doctor and the eldest of three brothers, watched the painful scene unfold. He didn't know Iori very well, but he knew that his younger brothers Shuu and Jyou did. Jyou and Iori had been comrades-in-arms while Shuu had unofficially joined only recently.

On his breaks, he would often come to check up on the boy only to find him in the same mood. His morose behavior was enough to depress Shin, and he usually found himself desiring to throttle his youngest brother for the disbanding of the union of friends that Iori used to depend on. But it wasn't Jyou's fault. Blame went to Ken Ichijouji, Hikari Yagami, Miyako Inoue, Takeru Takaishi, and especially to Daisuke Motomiya. While the others had caused the break-up, Motomiya had given up on trying to bring them back together. But even with that simple enough answer of who was at faults, there were still further shares of guilt to distribute. Perhaps even Shin himself was at fault a little too.

He sighed. He wasn't a psychiatrist, just an intern MD. There was nothing he could do for the severely depressed child.

His break was over. Dinner had been finished, and his father appeared to put him back to work. And inside the white walls, the hymns of death played over and over again in young Hida's head, like in an old broken music box.

Broken.

* * *

Three children sat at computers in the Digital World abode of a man named Gennai. A fourth, the youngest at nine, ferried papers in and out of the room. This child, a pretty little Mexican girl by the name of Chichos García, wasn't particularly talented with computers, but she had still wanted to help with this task. Gennai had assigned her to this. 

"Here you go, Ken," she informed in what sounded like perfect Japanese. A translation program recently installed in all Chosen's digivices broke the language barriers among them.

"Thank you, Chichos," the former Digimon Kaiser replied, taking the papers. His blue eyes scanned the findings carefully while a red-haired Japanese boy and a blonde American watched in eager anticipation.

"Anything?" Koushiro Izumi asked.

"Some. Gennai's isolated the warp hole that sent out the Kaiser's spirit. It's closed now, and it looks like the Parisian team has it under control." The other three Chosen nodded, promising to thank Catherine Ducharme the next time they ran into her.

"Well, that's one crisis averted," Koushiro commented in relief. He turned to the young man on his left. "What do you have?"

"Not a whole lot," Michael Godwin confessed. "But the rift left behind by Hikari's trip to the other world is beginning to close, although I think whatever's hacking Gennai's system is coming through from there." Automatically, they all glanced with pity in the direction of the room where Gennai was working, unable to tear his eyes away from the system for even a minute out of the fear of what someone could do to his precious files on the Chosen Children.

"I think he's doing better though," Chichos alerted. "He finally read through some of the papers I left."

"You'll have to modify the dimensional key," Ken informed. "Just look at how much trouble that came with even the smallest hole left behind."

"I know, I know," Koushiro responded. "Chichos, if Gotsumon, Betamon, Wormmon, or Tentomon isn't too busy, can you ask one of them to get us something to eat? It's going to be a long night for Ken and me at least. And thanks again, you two, for coming so early in the morning."

Michael shrugged. "Insomnia. It happens all the time."

"Don't worry about me breaking curfew," Chichos informed. "Mexico's got a reputation in José's domain as being rule breakers anyway." As she walked off, Ken watched her with guilt.

"What's wrong?" Michael checked. "You're not giving into her crush, are you?"

"No. It's just… She's so young, fighting this war alongside us. And at least in Odaiba, the youngest Chosen had the most problems. Takeru's avoiding everyone and can't stand hearing about the other world. Hikari's changed so drastically it's hard to recognize her. And Iori's… Michael, your team is lucky that Maria and Sam turned out okay."

"Maria learned to grow with it," Michael explained, "and Sam wasn't that young when we were chosen; he's just small for his age. But it never held him back."

"Besides, Chichos's entire team is pretty young when you get down to it," Koushiro added, looking up as he tried to remember the Mexican Chosen's names and ages. "Reina and Diego are eleven, and Elena's twelve." He stopped in surprise. Since when had eleven and twelve been young for him? "Now that I think of it, we were all very young when we went."

"That's my point," Ken answered, "and it's the hardest on the youngest of us." He got up. "I need to take care of something, a responsibility I've avoided. Please take over for me until I come back." With that, he walked directly past Chichos and the Digimon and headed for the gate home.

_He's going to visit Iori, _Chichos predicted. _But even I know that he won't like what he finds._

* * *

There were times in his life that Chideta Miyagami asked himself how on Earth he'd let Reiji Takamoto talk him into joining the Resistance. It was the right thing to do, his conscience reasoned. This was the only way to stop the evil that had claimed his parents and schoolmates. But there were times when he was forced to redefine the meaning of "evil" in his mind, and it scared him to no end with these new findings. 

Some days ago, Reiji had made his own biological weapon. And he was hell-bent on using it.

"Do you really think they'll approve, Reiji?" Miyagami asked for the hundredth or so time. His devil-may-care side was gone, probably killed by the same bacterium that filled those bullets in Takamoto's gun.

"Of course they will. The Chosen have had to deal with the Kaiser for too long. It's time for some kind of revenge. I mean, the guy murdered their friend, so they're bound to want justice."

"But Kage doesn't want…"

"Forget about what Kage wants, Chideta. Think about what we all want. The needs of all, remember? They outweigh the needs of one. We need to get rid of the Kaiser and his lackeys, and this little baby is way to do it." He patted his gun with extreme pride, pride that Miyagami couldn't share.

"You do know that Kage's creating something of his own."

"I know, but with his pace, that thing won't be finished till Christmas. And this is already completed."

"Dr. Akagami almost caught you with that bacterium. I don't trust that guy. He's up to something. He knows what we're up to. Notice that the pharmacies all stocked up on penicillin? I think he knows what you're creating—he might give it to the Kaiser."

"Let him try," Takamoto challenged in the voice of one whose pride was to ultimately bring about his downfall. "I'll take care of all his guards, and then I'll take care of him the same way he got the First Three."

Of all subjects pertaining to the war, this was the worst for all Resistance fighters. The First Three was the common term in the freedom-fighting underworld for the first three major assassinations by the Kaiser's Imperial Guard. First was his unnamed twin brother who was apparently a dear friend of the Chosen Children. Next was a human rights activist named Nari Ayamisa, and the last was Dr. Tadaaki Tenshi, the father of the Mt. Fuji team's leader, Kage.

Leaves crunched under someone's foot nearby. Takamoto and Miyagami turned immediately to see the figure of a young person darting quickly through the woods. Takamoto could not be more pleased; no doubt, the gods were on his side.

"My first target," he whispered.

"Reiji!"

Takamoto signaled for his friend to be silent before screwing the silencer onto his gun. He raised it, fired, and…

The target stopped and turned his head, as if hearing them. The bullet containing the bacterium hit him—there was no doubt about that—but he never once showed any sign of illness or pain. He was completely healthy.

"The hell?" Takamoto questioned, immediately shooting more. Bullets continued to hit the figure, but he calmly walked over to them. Takamoto kept shooting until he emptied his clip, the despairing hollow clicks sounding far louder than Miyagami's horrified shouts.

The former target finally reached them, revealing himself to be an eleven-year-old boy with spiky black hair and gold-rimmed glasses. Not a single wound was present on his skin, and his body seemed to give off the slightest of glows.

"You're wasting my time," he commented in a deliberately calm voice. "Right now, a group of people is about to die, and Kage's giving the order to attack the Kaiser's base. I have to alert the Chosen, the only ones other than me who can get there fast enough, and you are keeping me from getting there."

"We'll go back to Kage," Miyagami promised, his voice hoarse from yelling at Takamoto to stop shooting.

"Good. And let him know what your idiot friend did. He's lucky I'm not really alive."

Miyagami didn't wait to find out what the mysterious young man was talking about. He grabbed Takamoto's arm and ran desperately toward base at the Underground Railroad. In the meantime, the young man Osamu gave only a brief explanation of what was about to happen. The alert was clear and simple:

"Hurry to the Kaiser's base at the Yokohama beach. Kouji's family is about to die."

* * *

In the cold, damp darkness of Cell 24, a condemned family ate their last meal together. The father broke apart pieces of hard, stale bread and passed it around while the stepmother ladled out soup. The mother watched the son carefully as he held the baby. All was silent. 

"Here you go, Satomi," the son, Kouji Minamoto, informed. Gently, he handed the baby Kouri to his stepmother.

"Kouji, I want you to try to eat more tonight," his father, Kousei Minamoto, warned. "You need your strength."

Kouji eyed him with suspicion. That was an unexpected subject. True, he was injured and spiritually declining, but the Spirits of Light helped his body heal and regenerate a lot faster than his immune system could. And he had been beaten worse before, the time his wrists had been slashed, for example. He momentarily looked at the white scars on his wrists, all the while wondering if his father's words were an augury of things to come. Did it have something to do with—

"Kouji, are you all right?" his mother, Tomoko Kimura, checked.

"—the visitor?" he finished his own thoughts.

All activity paused at the sound of his voice. His parents and stepmother looked at him in surprise and fear.

"What are you talking about?" Satomi asked.

"Earlier, someone came in and talked to you—someone I don't know. I couldn't make out what he said, but I know it has to be important if Kouichi let someone other than Reiyama and Renamon in."

Expressions of fear softened into pity. He didn't know of what was to happen that night. Tomoko hugged him and placed a hand in his long, free hair.

"Do you want me to cut your hair before summer starts?" she offered, trying to keep the tears from her voice. He nodded, knowing that his long hair would be a nuisance in the heat if he could no longer tie it back.

Upon finishing their dinner of bland soup and stale bread, Tomoko took Kouji aside and removed a Fox Leaf Arrowhead from a nearby lantern. Then she gently used it to saw away at his long locks, leaving him with a short and neat haircut that would keep him cool in the summer sun. He retied his bandanna over his head, adding a touch of familiarity to his otherwise foreign appearance. Kousei watched silently the entire time, feeling the need to say something without knowing what. His wife touched his arm tenderly and gazed into his glasses-framed dark eyes.

"It's not too late," she whispered. "But you must tell him now or not at all." He nodded solemnly before walking over to his son.

"Kouji…" He stopped short, unable to speak.

"Dad, is something wrong?" There was a definite note of concern in his voice, heightened by the memory of the visitor and the sudden emergence of several Imperial Guardsmen. "What's going on?"

Kousei merely embraced him tightly, unaware of the terrified tears that streamed down his son's face. "We'll always be with you, remember that." A gasp caught in Kouji's throat when he heard his atheistic father admit this slightly religious comment. "We love you, Kouji." Finally, two guards seized his father and took him away. The rest of the family faced the same fate, and their faces all expressed the same message of "Goodbye, I love you."

"Dad?" Kouji called as Reiyama grabbed the back of his neck. "Mom?" The grip tightened, and he instinctively struggled to get free. "Satomi?" Renamon came up to him, nearly obstructing his view of his baby sister being taking with them. "Kouri?"

Renamon jabbed her sharp nails into his abdomen, forcing him to keel over while the intense grip on his neck threatened to either strangle him or break his spine. But the physical pain did not usher the cries that came from him. Only the heart could produce such anguish.

* * *

"How much father do we have to go?" Fairymon question Osamu as the Warrior flew their exodus to Yokohama. Ichijouji was on Blitzmon's back, barely a burden for the Hybrid who also ferried Chakmon. They flew at the front, just ahead of Ardhamon. 

"Not much," he answered. His voice was far from a shout, but it carried easily in the wind. "We just have to worry about being in time."

"Do you want me to go on ahead?" Ardhamon checked. As an equal to the Ultimate level, he was faster than his companions.

"Yes, so long as one of us gets there."

The desperation in his voice encouraged them all to surpass their highest speeds. They needed to get there in time. They couldn't afford to mess this one up.

* * *

All the slaves were called out of their new quarters later that night, when twilight settled into dusk. At least, that was how Sakiko described it. Twilight implied light, hope, life, and it's beauty. Dusk was dark, nearing to night. Twilight was partial light. Dusk was incomplete darkness. 

She was the only one who knew what this was about; everyone else whispered in fear. She shrank back as if trying not to be seen, but soon cold wet fur grabbed her arm and pulled her to the front of the crowd. She chanced a look at her captor and saw a Renamon she'd often seen assisting the Kaiser and Reiyama torment the prisoners. But why was her paw so wet?

Renamon threw Sakiko into place, nearly knocking over another slave. Sakiko pulled herself up and began to apologize when she saw whom she'd crashed into: a boy in a tattered and bloody yellow T-shirt and gray pants and a red-striped blue bandanna. His hair underneath had been cut short, but there was still no mistaking him, especially with the Black Ring around his neck. His family stood in the center of a semicircle with guns trained on him, yet he stood perfectly still, as if in a daze. He had to have some idea of what was going on, so why was he so calm? And, God, what was his name? Kouji, right?

"Kouji," she whispered, trying to wake him up. "Kouji, you probably don't remember me, but I'm the slave you helped earlier. I'm sorry I didn't do anything in return. But listen, the Kaiser's going to kill your family. Help me and we can all get out of here." Why didn't he react? Why wasn't he listening? "Please," she begged. This time, she glanced down and noticed a fresh wound in his stomach in the telltale design of a Renamon's paw. Then she looked up to see tears streaming down his face, tears that were not invoked by his physical wounds. He knew what was coming and understood why.

Just after this stab, Renamon had washed the blood from her paws. Would the Kaiser wash his hands clean of this murder's blood?

A strong wind blew overhead, inciting Sakiko to look up. In the air was a Digimon with great fire-gold wings. The Kaiser also looked up as he stood with Kouji's family—his family—just a few feet away from the two slaves.

"Now," he instructed. His mercenaries and soldiers took aim at the same time as the Digimon in the skies.

Bullets flew everywhere, and all the slaves dropped to the sand, covering their heads. All save Kouji, though. He stood alone to watch the bloodshed as his one-time best friend shot as many Guardsmen as he could. Most lived with the smell of burned flesh forever searing their nostrils. Other luckier ones died in the firestorm. The incomplete darkness was dashed with the orange twilight flames that streaked everywhere, melting the sand to glass at Kouji's feet. But Ardhamon might as well have not been there for all it mattered to him. His eyes were focused ahead, where flame bullets were afraid to shoot. The miniature explosions from the guns nearly deafened him as poorly aimed shots fired at his family. An exasperated Reiyama pushed his way forward and shot, hitting Kouri. She cried even louder in pain before another bullet silenced her forever. And it was all Kouji needed to break free from the Black Ring.

An unearthly scream exited his lungs as he tried to fight his way to his parents. But Renamon was on him in an instant, holding his body tightly while gripping the hair on the back of his head. He still fought, still screamed, still resisted her. But he was helpless to stop the massacre of his family at Reiyama's hand. He hand to watch, scream, and cry as the man killed them and continued to shoot just for the sick pleasure of mutilating their already desecrated bodies.

"Enough, Reiyama," the Kaiser ordered, but the colonel refused to stop ravaging the bodies. "I said enough!"

Ardhamon shot a well-aimed fire bullet at Reiyama's neck, forcing him to back away and clap his hand over the burn. Ardhamon held his flame guns pointed at the Kaiser as he growled, "Leave now, Kouichi. Leave them to us."

"All right," he answered a little too smoothly. "Renamon, get Kouji back to his cell first. I wouldn't want him to have to see any more of this."

Ardhamon's breath caught in his throat. He turned his head slightly to the left to see the friend he'd thought was dead. Kouji looked exactly as he remembered him, albeit thinner, with short hair, beaten, and crying. In the year Takuya had known him, he'd never seen Kouji cry like this. He gasped for air like there was nothing in his lungs, and the tears from his eyes could not cease. The inhuman shouts he'd released had left his voice raw and hoarse, muting most of the sound from him. His struggles to breathe, however, were louder than anything.

"Let him go," Ardhamon commanded in a feral voice as the others arrived.

"You know I can't do that," Kouichi replied. "_Ototo-chan_ is the only bargaining tool I have left against you."

"You'll let him go," another voice insisted, one from Kouichi's borrowed memory. Ignoring all else, Osamu Ichijouji leapt to the sand from Blitzmon's back. "You'll let him go, or all hell will break loose on you."

Kouichi stared at him with fear-widened eyes. "How are you alive?"

"I'm not. A Light Seed gives me this form."

His eyes narrowed in spite. "Then you know that Qinglongmon and Gennai have restrictions on you. You can't do anything to me."

"But they can," Osamu corrected, gesturing to the others. "And there are no restrictions on my helping them."

"This isn't over."

"Whoever said it was?"

Kouichi glowered at him and turned to leave, Renamon still holding Kouji menacingly. He paused and warned, "If you try anything, she will kill him. As you can see, I find nothing wrong with killing family members."

"Bastard," Blitzmon swore. Kouichi shrugged it off.

"I still hold all the cards, as you can see. Just take the bodies and leave before there's another massacre."

Ardhamon gritted his teeth and carefully carried out to Kousei's and Satomi's bodies. Blitzmon left Chakmon with Fairymon while he took Tomoko. Osamu, in the meantime, gently cradled Kouri and closed her sightless eyes. He looked up for a moment to see the spirits of these people, spirits only he could see.

_We'll give your bodies the respect you deserve,_ he silently promised. They nodded in gratitude.

"Come on," Ardhamon urged. "Let's tell Kage."

The Legendary Warriors and Osamu turned and walked away in defeat. Some distance farther, they took flight with Osamu once gain upon Blitzmon's back. It was a night that would live on in their minds forever, one that was often compared to the Holocaust and _Kristallnacht_.

But _Kristallnacht_ had been the Night of Broken Glass. This was just the Broken Night.

* * *

It was later that night when Osamu returned to Cell 24 to find Kouji sitting in his usual dry corner, crying still. It was painful to watch. 

"I guess it won't help to tell you that they're a lot better where they are than where they'd been," Osamu mused. "It meant nothing to my brother, so I guess it'll mean nothing to you." Kouji took in a breath as more tears fell. "My…my name is Osamu Ichijouji. I've been working hard to protect you and your family. Tonight I failed." He picked up one of the shackles he'd pulled off of the wall and turned it over in his hand. Kousei's words echoed in his head as the man's spirit stood next to him: _"Whether you succeed in saving us or not, no one will hold you accountable for this."_ Sighing, he ran his finger over the cuff, soon coming in contact with a soft material that stung his finger dreadfully.

"Ouch!" he declared in surprise, staring at the ring. Momentarily, he placed his finger in his mouth to soothe the burning, utterly confounded as to how that was possible. Finally, he removed his finger from his mouth and, holding up his right hand, he let a small glow form, allowing him to see a mushy gray substance.

He placed the cuff with its strange stucco in his pocket before he pinched his wrist to expose the Light Seed and all its roots in his form. His entire upper torso, arms, and head remained corporal while the rest of him was transparent. It wouldn't be long before those roots spread all throughout him. He hid the Seed again and sighed as he kept vigil over his charge. And in a completely different world, his brother Ken watched the broken Iori try to get through some of his first homework of the new school year as the boy pushed away the water from his eyes.

_Translation notes:  
Ototo-chan: Japanese for "little brother"_

**Because I am the weirdo that puts everything in the footnote, here is the disclaimer: I do not own _Digimon_ in any way, shape or form. I am, however, the intellectual owner of the original characters and circumstances of the fanfiction piece "With Broken Wings." This is an alternate version of "With Broken Wings," explored in a chapter of "Cruel Angel's Thesis," which is part of the "Doppelgangland" and "With Broken Wings" universes. This is more of an _Evangelion_ approach, I suppose, giving a darker view into the "what ifs." In this case, the question is "What if Sakiko had been too afraid to go with Kotemon and Koemon to try and save Kouji?"**

**The idea of the drastic changes brought about by different choices came from "Digital City Diaries," an alternate universe of "Red Digivice Diaries" and its universe. In that, one choice made by each team changes the course of the timeline. Some Diaries references are present, such as Michael Godwin (my "Survival Diaries"), Chichos García and her team (Elena, Diego, Reina—all four from my "Southern Cross Diaries"), and Catherine Ducharme ("Rose Diaries" by Lady Iapetus). However, in this, the _02_ "With Broken Wings" world will not be altered in any way until contact between them and the _Frontier_ world is established in 2006. Up until that point, everything that occurs in the _Adventure/02_ world is canon for the "Broken Wings" timeline. Characterizations will be different and deaths will be different. Some will live, and some will die. You just have to wait to see who.**

**A little note on the comment of "Takamoto could not be more pleased; no doubt, the gods were on his side": Takamoto is Shinto (not really discussed too much), so he believes in multiple gods. There are some minor religious discussions, but nothing huge. I'm not going to start preaching here or pushing one religion.**

**Chapter Two: "Dusk"  
****Some wounds never heal. Some souls cannot be saved, no matter how hard you try. After the battle is over, who is the true victor? Night is falling. Dusk is rising, the incomplete darkness.**


	2. Dusk

_"These blue eyes gave nothing, expected nothing. They held too much knowledge. They had seen too much in their six years—too much sorrow, too much pain. They had looked beneath the bed and discovered that there really were monsters lurking in the shadows."  
Description of Raistlin Majere's eyes at six, The Soulforge_

_Recommended Music:  
Scene 1: "Open Your Eyes," Witch Hunter Robin  
Scene 2, part one: "I Am Free," Xenosaga II  
Scene 2, part two: "Futatsu no Negai," D.N. Angel  
Scene 3: "Infection," Chihiro Onitsuka  
Scene 4, part one: "Melodie," Noir  
Scene 4, part two: "Bridge 04," .hack/SIGN_

Black Wings  
Chapter Two: "Dusk"

Kage Tenshi, commander of the Mt. Fuji Resistance team at merely fourteen, repeatedly smashed his head on one of the wooden support beams that held up the underground base. It had only been constructed with the help of many diggers and a small army of Digmon borrowed from the Yokohama team. It had been built to withstand floods, earthquakes, and all other sorts of natural disasters. And with the way the beam hadn't broken from his constant head-banging, Kage wondered if it had been built with his temper in mind.

"Hey," softly called the voice he'd quickly learned as Osamu's. He let his head rest against the wood. "Throwing a fit of anger is usually my job."

"Did you manage to get him out?" Kage asked. From the corner of his eye, he saw Ichijouji shake his head.

"I didn't have nearly enough strength. It'll be a while before I can rescue slaves that way."

"Hmm."

"I take it you saw the news?" Osamu commented, eyeing Tenshi's computer. The young commander detached his head from the wall and walked over to it.

"I've seen some bad propaganda in the world today and in history. I've seen the World War II recruitment encouragements of Hitler's Germany, Roosevelt's America, and even our country under Tojo. But I've never seen anything this disgusting. The killings and mutilations blamed on us! And all because of that fucking—"

"Reiyama?"

"If that's the name of the guy who did it. Personally, I blame the Kaiser."

"Like how your sister blames Kouji?"

Kage hid a sly smile. "I take it you've kept watch over more people than just Minamoto."

"Yes, although I was unable to prevent the tragedies that crossed your path, and Miss Ayamisa's." Both were silent for a moment. "She's in the base too. Alice, one of my co-conspirators, tried to work things out so that both she and Kouji could escape. Our plans failed."

"Maybe just here," Kage mused.

"Eh?"

"You came from another world, right? So it's possible that there are other versions of our worlds, other universes. Maybe there's one where this atrocity never happened."

"I hope so. I wouldn't wish this on anybody." Osamu glanced at the computer again. "Any luck breaking into Gennai's system?"

"Actually, yes. I've got most of the file on your brother downloaded."

"Sorry I can't help more."

"It's all right. Besides, this serves as a good lesson to them on not being so sure that no one can break that system. You report to that Gennai guy, right?"

"Sometimes. Mostly it's Qinglongmon. He also thinks Gennai can learn from this experience. And speaking of learning, what about those idiots with the biological weapon?"

"I yelled at Takamoto for a while, then turned him over to Takuya. I almost pity him for crossing Takuya while he's still furious over last night's events—I think he might have killed him just with the look of anger on his face. I was a little easier on Miyagami, but he shouldn't have kept this a secret for so long." After a brief silence, he added, "I hate to think what would have happened if he shot anyone but you. And Miyagami said that Dr. Akagami—one of our doctors—might be a traitor. I have Himi and Gabumon looking into it while I finish the digivices."

"Oh, that reminds me," Osamu recalled, handing over the shackle. "In one of my own fits of anger, I pulled that from the wall."

Kage eyed him with a raised brow. "In anger?"

"I told you it was usually my job to go off like that. If you ever meet my brother Ken, he'd tell you about my temper."

"I'll keep that in mind." He turned the cuff over in his hand, observing some kind of soft, gray building material. "What's—"

"Don't touch it!" Osamu warned just as Kage was about to put his finger to it. "I'm not sure what it is, but it stung me. And as a general rule, I normally don't feel pain."

"Hmm," Kage replied, scraping it with a piece of paper and into a glass. "If Takamoto's still alive by the time Takuya's through with him, I'll have him take this to either Iwahara or Yamamoto for examination."

"In the meantime, I think I'll test my limits in phasing through objects while carrying something. Do you remember where Alice—the blonde Gothic girl—put those clothes of Hikari's?"

"God, I don't know. Check one of those boxes."

Osamu dug through a few cardboard boxes against the wall before finding the tie-dyed tank top and denim shorts they'd brought. Originally, his plan was to test how much he could transport in and out of the base before attempting to rescue Kouji and his family. Alice's work had prevented the need for that plan, but now it served as a good backup.

"I hope it fits her," he whispered. "Toss me an instant oatmeal pack from that parcel."

"Uh, sure." Kage threw it over and Osamu caught it half-distractedly. "Why?"

"There's someone who could use some comfort right now. Maybe a fresh change of clothes and some better food can help."

"Ayamisa?" He nodded. "All right then. I'll see you later." As Osamu left, Kage went back to finishing the last of his artificial digivices, looking up every now and then to check the download progress on his computer. The answers they needed so desperately had to lie there.

* * *

A disappointed Nari Ayamisa walked her daughter out of a meeting of the Yokohama Resistance force. She berated Sakiko throughout the whole walk, but the girl rolled her eyes and ignored the words. 

"…And furthermore—Sakiko, are you listening to me?"

She sighed in exasperation. "Yes, Mother."

"Don't use that tone with me, young lady. Your father and I have been worried sick about you—"

"Finally caring about something more than your job? My work here is done." She began to walk farther away, but her mother grabbed her arm and turned her around.

"No, you're not, Sakiko. Now listen, I know I've been neglecting you. I'm not the perfect mother; I'm not the perfect anything. I hold no claims to godhood. But I promise I'll make it up to you."

"How?"

"I got a call from Dr. Tenshi—" Sakiko groaned in disgust. "Don't start with me. He's found a young boy in the Kaiser's base who desperately needs to be taken out of there. How would you like to have a brother, at least for a little while?"

"How little is 'little'?"

"Until we find his parents, if they're still alive."

"I'll think about it."

"I need an answer now. It's either we take him in or Dr. Tenshi does, and he has two kids of his own. It's going to be hard for him to raise another."

Sakiko sighed. "What did Dad say?"

"He wants to wait to know what you think. You both might have to share a room or one of you will have to take the couch."

She sighed again. This was a big decision they were trusting her with. "Just one question, Mom: will you ignore him like you did with me?"

"Sakiko, I'm not going to ignore—" The unmistakable sound of a gunshot interrupted her. Her eyes widened as blood from her chest splattered on her daughter. Her body slumped forward as Sakiko stepped back in horror, looking up in the direction of the sniper. She didn't remember much after this, except that she ran madly for home.

"Sakiko, what's wrong?" her father asked.

"Someone shot Mom," she squeaked in fear. Her father walked closer to her. "We were arguing again. She wanted to adopt that kid in the Kaiser's base. I told her not to ignore him like she did with me. Then somebody shot her."

Her father hugged her tightly, allowing her to muffle her sobs in his sweater. The war hadn't been real until now. The truth was blaringly obvious in front of her: "The Kaiser killed Mom; we're next."

"We need to hide somewhere," Sakiko breathed. "Where will we go?"

"Don't you worry about that now," her father gently whispered. "Just try and sleep. In the morning, we'll think of something."

Sakiko didn't even want to go upstairs into her room. She just lay on the couch and her father placed a blanket over her. He fell asleep on the floor soon after. But in the late afternoon, he was no longer there.

She rubbed her bleary and teary as she looked around. "Dad?" she called. "Dad?" A shadow came from the kitchen. "Dad?"

There he was, all right—hanging by a cord around his neck. Rigor mortis, the stiffening of muscles after death, had just set in, so a note was firmly clenched in his hand. Sakiko skimmed through it and crushed it. She would never remember the words, but the gist of suicide letter was about wanting to protect her.

"Another lie," she commented. "You never cared. You would have made lousy parents to that kid anyway. He's better off as Dr. Tenshi's son." She spat on the floor in disgust and left, never to return ever. Ever…

"Miss Ayamisa?" called a new voice, pulling her out of the reaches of her subconscious memories. She cracked open her once again teary and bleary eyes to see the young man from the day before, the one who'd asked her if allowing her savior to be beaten and forced to watch his family's death was how she repaid him.

"Who are you?" she questioned. "And why are you here? I'm supposed to be in isolation."

"I'm Osamu Ichijouji. I came to deliver some things to you." He handed her a pink-and-purple tie-dyed tank top and blue denim shorts. They weren't really her style—she preferred the American Gothic—but they were better than the same old clothes over and over again.

"Do you have anything white?" she asked.

"No," he answered. "But I can try to get something—a blouse or skirt or something. I think everyone will understand that you want to mourn. Go ahead and change. I won't watch; I'll be busy trying to figure this thing out." He held up a brown packet with English directions all over it. Deciding to trust him, she walked over to the shower, away from the glass window that allowed other inmates to see her.

"I, um, heard you talking in your sleep," he informed. "I wasn't trying to listen, but it's hard to ignore. I'm sorry about your mother and father."

"It's not your fault," she commented.

"Were you close to them?"

"What?"

"Close to them," he repeated. "Were you a close-knit family, or did you have issues with them?"

She was silent as she came over and sat down. He seemed to know exactly what she was thinking and feeling. It was scary.

"I'm sorry," Osamu apologized after a moment. "I didn't mean to reopen old wounds."

"No."

"Huh?"

"No. We were close up until the Kaiser took over everything. Then Mom started working a lot. She wanted to expose the horrors that were going on here. Dad helped as much as he could. It wasn't that I was being ignored that bothered me. I just couldn't accept that it was real. Nothing was real. The war was not real. I went to a couple of funerals for Resistance officers and friends of my parents, but I never saw any of the devastation as real. I just wanted to be allowed to play my little game, to fight for a cause I didn't believe in or know anything about. Imperials, Resistance—it was all the same to me. Mom and Dad were fine with me having Imperial friends, but they didn't want me anywhere near the Resistance. So I joined with Yokohama, just to piss them off. It was all just a game for me. I was so stupid."

"Believe me, I've heard that before," Osamu assured.

"No aspect of the war was real to me until my parents died. Up until then, I could shoot a man in the forehead and call it a day. It didn't matter whose side he was on; if he got in my way, he was gone. I don't know what it was I was thinking—maybe that if I didn't care, then nothing terrible would happen to me?" She sighed. "But then it did happen. Somebody shot Mom with less heart than I showed when I killed my enemies. It woke me up. I saw that the world didn't revolve around me and that being in denial changes nothing. My dad didn't see that. Because things fell apart, he ended it the only way he could think to."

A long, uncomfortable silence ensued. The boy continued cooking while the girl continued brooding. So many things were on her mind. What if she hadn't been afraid and had gone with Kotemon and Koemon? Would that slave boy and his family be living safely hidden in Odaiba or Mt. Fuji or some other Resistance base? Would he be detailing the plans of the Kaiser's base to the commanding officer in readiness for a full-scale attack? Would the Kaiser fall tomorrow? Perhaps, but only if she hadn't been afraid.

"Cellblock 60?" Osamu asked suddenly. "What's so special about the highest level?"

"It's where everyone goes when they can't handle it anymore. Most of the people here are schizophrenics or something. I think everyone's afraid I'll end up like them." She pulled on Kouji's jacket over the new clothes. "You said his name was Kouji Minamoto, right?"

"Yes."

"A friend of mine said he was the Kaiser's brother. And the Kaiser called him ototo-chan in front of that Digimon last night."

"Kou_ichi_ and Kou_ji_. Light-one and Light-two. Twins."

"And the Kaiser, Kouichi, killed his own family?"

"Yes."

"How could anyone be so heartless?"

Osamu turned to look at her, his fire-blue eyes staring into her soul. "Tell me how Fate can be so cruel as to twist a kind-hearted child into a murderer and how she can be so cruel as to kill everyone a little boy loved in order to drive him into madness. Then I can tell you how a boy can kill his own family."

"I'm sorry."

"It's all right." He gave her a bowl of whatever had been in the packet. "Cinnamon raisin instant oatmeal from the United States Resistance. Apparently, they swear by this stuff to cure all the ills of the world."

"Which team?"

"I don't know. Why? Do you have friends in any particular team?"

"No. Each Resistance team has a calling card in either equipment or food—something that someone else doesn't have or something used in each box of supplies. This oatmeal might be the calling card of one of those teams."

"Actually, I made that up. I was hoping it would help you feel better."

"It didn't work. But thanks anyway." She sat down and began to eat the oatmeal mush and raisins. It was warm and sweet in her mouth, but it felt so wrong somehow to taste sweetness instead of the bitter pain that came with death. Was that why the handful of funerals she'd been to—mainly for Resistance officers she hadn't known—had food served to all the mourners? Was another person's cooking really the cure to the ills of the world?

"Are you okay?" Osamu checked.

"No." It was soft, not biting, but still he grimaced.

"Stupid question. Sorry."

"It's all right." It was just then that she remembered her manners and offered her half-eaten breakfast to him. "Are you hungry? Do you want some?"

"No, it's okay. I don't need to eat." She stared at him oddly. "It's a long story." He stood up to leave. "Anyway, I've got to go. They'll be waiting for me at base."

"How are you going to get out of here?" she asked. "The walls are padded but thick, and that glass is unbreakable."

"Don't worry about me. I'm going to leave the same way I got in. Soon, though, I hope I can take passengers." Then, right before her eyes, he became transparent and passed through the glass, disappearing. She held her hand against the window and then pressed her tear-smudged face against the cold glass. It was just another thing to mourn.

* * *

Takamoto survived Takuya's rage, if only for the almost divine intervention of Junpei, who held his friend back from killing the young man. And young Kanbara was certainly not happy about it. 

He swore loudly at everything he encountered and kicked boxes of supplies while sending all fellow Resistance fighters running. None of them wanted to learn the hard way what it was like to feel the angry flames of his Digimon forms' attacks.

He sat down in the mess hall with an angry grunt. Kage, who'd taken refuge there sometime after Osamu left, looked up.

"Coffee?" he guessed. There was an affirmative grunt. "It's going to give you an ulcer." Takuya grunted again, this time with more annoyance. "All right. Don't say I didn't warn you." He poured his second-in-command a cup of scalding coffee made from burnt grounds. Takuya gulped it down quickly, barely noticing the heat and flavor. He slammed the cup down and Kage refilled it. "Did you leave enough of Takamoto to gut and fling on the Kaiser?"

Takuya slammed down his cup again, splashing the liquid onto the wood table. "Yeah, he's alive. You can find him staggering to his quarters. About the only thing Junpei couldn't keep me from crushing was the guy's manhood." Kage flinched visibly, promising himself not to anger the Warrior of Fire. "So where's the newbie?"

"Osamu? He's at the Kaiser's base, trying to see how much he can transport in and out."

"Kouji?" Takuya asked, anticipation replacing his mask of anger.

Kage shook his head. "He tried last night with no luck. He's not sure when he'll be able to get him out."

"Oh." He picked up his cup again and drank the bitter coffee, making a face as it went down. "Ugh!"

"Told you. I don't know why the only coffee we get from donations is that bad."

"Maybe they expect us to use it as a weapon," Takuya suggested, dumping in three packets of sugar. "And speaking of weapons, how's yours coming along?"

"Decently, but nothing spectacular. Himi's is taking the longest."

"Why?"

"You'll see when they're done."

Takuya stared into the depths of his coffee. Granules of sugar spiraled toward the center of the cup. On a whim, he took a small cup of creamer and slowly poured it in, watching the dark, clear brown gradually become a milky almost beige color.

"I think that's less toxic now," Kage pointed out as Takuya continued to stare.

"Huh? Oh, sorry. I was thinking."

"About what?"

"About Kouji. I feel so bad for him—not pity though. I think pity is more from a distant view."

"Sympathetic then?"

"Not even that. I feel like I've just gone through the same thing he did. It's just like when we were all still a team, only then I could do something about it." He momentarily held his head in his hands before looking back up at Kage. "When I saw him last night, Kage, I thought he looked exactly the same as he had when he die—when we last saw him. But as I tried to sleep, little details came back to me, things I didn't notice then." He held his arms. "His arms were so thin. Yeah, they were a little more toned than I remember, but they were small under his sleeves. His shirt was torn and bloody—there was a spot on his stomach that had to be a fresh wound. His hair was short—and all this time, I thought he had a lot of pride in his long ponytail. He was a completely different person. And his eyes…"

"What about them?"

"They were broken and hollow. His spirit was so badly broken there that I don't think anything could fix it." He made eye contact with his leader and spoke in a stern yet emotional voice. "He was dead, Kage. I could see it in his eyes. He was dead."

Kage sighed and lowered his gaze. "Then Tai's had her revenge."

"Tai? Isn't that your sister's nickname?" Kage nodded. "What does she have to do with any of this?"

Kage reached into a hidden compartment and pulled out a small bottle of sake. Takuya watched in confusion as he poured a small amount into the coffee-sugar-cream concoction and another small amount into a cup of coffee for himself. "I save this for the senior members and for bribes when I need to. But this is a good enough reason to drink underage."

"I don't understand."

"Takuya, there's a long history between your friend and my sister, even though they've never met." He downed some of his sake-coffee brew. "And none of it's good."

Takuya warily looked at his sake cocktail before drinking a mouthful. He felt a little lightheaded as the caffeine, sugar, and alcohol passed through his bloodstream, but still he urged, "Go on." He knew he might as well follow this bad news with his first hangover. Kage was of like mind and gulped more of his own coffee.

"Well, Takuya, it has to do with my father's assassination…"

* * *

Yutaka Himi and his unofficial partner, Gabumon, stood outside Dr. Akagami's office in a small town hospital near the Underground Railroad. This had to be the craziest thing they'd ever done, Yutaka figured as he readied his laser pistol on the stun setting. He'd checked the patients earlier and found quite a few with high fevers and unexplained bedsores and bruises. With Takamoto's full report on his bacterium's capabilities, Himi had come to the terrifying conclusion that the suspicious doctor was using his patients as test subject for a new strain of this genetically modified bacterium. 

"Himi-san, are you ready?" Gabumon whispered. He nodded and kicked in the door, his gun pointed straight ahead while Gabumon prepared to unleash his Petit Fire.

Akagami wasn't in, so they relaxed somewhat as they searched the office. If anyone could emit the absolute essence of guiltlessness, it was Akagami. Everything he owned was innocent, from the empty coffee cup on his desk to the fish tank beside the window.

"Nothing particularly sinister here," Himi commented. "The most villainous thing he's done is forget to water his potted plants. Even his fish are well-fed."

"Let's look somewhere else then," Gabumon decided.

Himi looked around for anything suspicious when suddenly Akagami leapt out of a cabinet at his back. He tried to wrestle the older man off of his back, but it was to no avail, and Gabumon couldn't attack for fear of hurting his partner. Akagami then plunged a syringe into Himi's neck. The Resistance fighter threw him to the ground and clutched the wound as it began to bleed. But something was seriously wrong. Even though only a trickle of blood left the wound to his carotid artery in his neck, he was starting to feel dizzy and weak. He swayed and staggered drunkenly over to the door as his vision swam.

The bacterium, he realized with dread. "Gabumon, quick, stop him!"

Akagami leapt at him, injecting his back while Gabumon attacked. A shout of "Petit Fire!" was all the warning Akagami got before blue flames utterly consumed him. Himi, meanwhile, forced himself to walk to a passing nurse.

"I need penicillin—any antibiotic," he begged, heaving up his stomach contents on the floor in front of her.

"In a minute, sir. First, we need you to fill out some paperwork."

"There's no time."

"Sir, it's the procedure—"

"Screw procedure. I'm dying, and I will if I don't get any help." He grabbed her arms weakly. "I've been poisoned with a deadly bacterium. I need help now." His valor could only keep him standing for so long. Finally, his body gave into fever, and he collapsed and passed out in his own vomit. The nurse called for help as she tried to wake him, and soon Dr. Yamamoto appeared.

"Leave this one to me," he advised. "In the meantime, get yourself washed. I'll have you in quarantine in the ICU with me and this patient until we learn how this spreads." Everyone else kept away as he hefted Himi onto a gurney and exiled them both in the intensive care unit.

It wasn't much longer later when nearly ten-year-old Tomoki Himi barged in on the half-drunken Kage and Takuya. Feeling that it was only right, he saluted before speaking.

"Kage, I need to head into town for a few days. My brother's in the hospital."

The two leaders sobered immediately at this news. Yutaka Himi had brought the Chosen to the first commander, Kae Watanabe, and was therefore partially responsible for their success rate in battle and camaraderie.

"What's wrong with him?" Takuya questioned, even in his drunken state seeing the extreme distress in his adopted little brother.

"Takamoto's bacterium," Tomoki replied. "Please, I want to be there in case…" He didn't finish his thought, but he didn't need to. Kage and Takuya knew already what he didn't want to say.

"You'll go with Takamoto," Kage ordered. "It's about time he sees what he did." Tomoki nodded breathlessly and ran to take Takamoto with him to the hospital. The tall redhead wasn't at all happy with having to face the penalties of his actions in this way, but he agreed to drive the boy. He really had no choice in the matter. Kage had given the order, and Miyagami was glaring at him emotionlessly. Takamoto swallowed hard. It very easily could have been his best friend dying, not just the simple acquaintance.

As he drove the team's green SUV, he snuck a glance at Tomoki. The boy had seen one of his friends killed and had only just learned that he was alive on the outside and dead inside. He had seen that broken friend's family murdered and their bodies ravaged. Now he was about to lose his own family. The look on his face was haunted but passively calm at the same time, as though he'd accepted his brother's possible fate. That wasn't right for a ten-year-old boy.

As he turned the corner, Takamoto recalled when he'd been a young boy, younger than Tomoki. He'd been convinced that there were evil demons, monsters, under his bed until he'd looked underneath to see that the eyes underneath were his own. A mirror showed his reflection in the dark, and it had been a calming reassurance that the monsters didn't exist. But they did. It was only now that he realized that he was the monster from his nightmares. The mirrors under the bed still held his reflection. All of the demons he'd feared wore his face. And all he could do was hope that some miracle would happen. He could not hope for forgiveness—that was far beyond his reach—but he could hope that Yutaka wouldn't be claimed as retribution.

**Okay, I know there's some 24**** influence in there with the bacterium, but it was in the original. Whatever inspired that inspired this too. 24 ****just added some flavor since I watched the season finale before writing this. The idea of Takuya and Kage getting drunk as they discuss the connection between Taiyou and Kouji is partially inspired by The Pretender,**** where Parker often got drunk—especially when talking to Jarod about something particularly heartbreaking—or when Broots asked her for something that "burns" when he'd found out some disturbing information he had to share. The other half of the inspiration came from Amon of Witch Hunter Robin,**** who's almost always seen in the bar at Harry's. Hopefully the rest of my author's notes can remain relatively short as random ideas pop out of my head left and right.**

**Chapter Three: "Allay Pain"  
It hurts to remember the past, and it hurts even more to face the future. The world is falling apart, and one person remembers why. The truth can set you free, or it can just tether your wings even further.**


	3. Allay Pain

_"Fall in a light sleep, it encompasses my very being  
I don't carry out my promises  
So long ago, I threw away my brightness  
And like the light from the morning sun, it can never return."  
Bana—"Half-Pain" (Witch Hunter Robin)  
(Translated by Takayama Miyuki)_

_ Recommended Music:  
Scene 1: "Mizu no Akashi," Gundam Seed  
Scene 2: "Allay Pain," (or "Half-Pain"), Witch Hunter Robin  
Scene 3: "Mizu no Akashi"  
Scenes 4 and 5: "Understanding," Evanescence  
Scene 6: Beethoven's Ninth Symphony_

Black Wings  
Chapter Three: "Allay Pain"

It was an oddly silent morning in the Inoue household, even for an eventless Sunday. Twenty-one-year-old Mantarou, fifteen-year-old Chizuru, eighteen-year-old Momoe, and thirteen-year-old Miyako sat at the table. Chizuru skimmed through the newspaper while Mantarou ate his rice and Momoe sipped her _miso _soup. But while they tried to look busy, they were in actuality watching little sister Miyako, who was occupied with eating her fish.

"You can stop staring at me," she commented, feeling their eyes on her. "I'm not going to run off like Hikari did a few days ago."

"Sorry," Mantarou muttered and returned to eating. But as he lifted a clump of rice with his chopsticks, he added, "Are you _sure_ you're okay?"

"Yes."

"Are you really?" Momoe questioned. "You were really depressed after your last few break-ups…"

"I said I was fine!" Miyako snapped. "My failed relationship with Koushiro has nothing to do with what's bothering me!" She slammed her fists on the table, upsetting the dishes and spilling her oolong tea.

"Then what is it?" Chizuru asked without looking up from her paper. Miyako groaned loudly with frustration and left the table.

"I'm going to visit Iori. If you want to be useful, tell Mom and Dad that's where I went." She grabbed a backpack and Poromon before storming off.

Momoe and Mantarou stared after her in shock while their younger sister calmly folded her paper and adjusted her glasses. Of all of them, she was the only one who understood. She didn't understand Miyako, but she at least understood the reason why.

"She lives in a different world than we do now," she explained to her elder siblings. "Somehow, I think she always has."

"Then there's nothing we can do to help?" Mantarou questioned. Chizuru shook her head. "I see."

"Fine siblings we turned out to be," Momoe commented softly. "In all of thirteen years, we haven't been able to do anything that could help her."

They lowered their heads as if in mourning before resuming their eating. But none of them could stomach much more food; it was unappetizing to know just how useless they'd been for so long.

Miyako, on the other hand, was filled with a rage that quickly consumed the little breakfast she'd eaten. She stopped in on her family's store to buy a candy bar for herself and a rice ball for Poromon before walking to the hospital.

She bit off the wrapper and viciously devoured the bar of chocolate, nuts, caramel, and nougat while she held the pink puffball that was her Digimon's Baby II form. Poromon ate more slowly and with a lot more caution as he sensed his partner's anger. When they'd both finished their morning snack, he finally asked, "Why are you so mad, Miyako? Is it something about the others?"

She sighed. "No, Poromon. The other Chosen have nothing to do with it for once."

"Oh." A new theory came to mind, one he'd heard Mantarou often complain about. He wasn't sure what it meant, but it had something to do with angry human women. "Then is it that time of the month?"

Miyako was lucky that few people were around to hear that. She nearly dropped Poromon in shock before she gathered her wits and replied, "No. And I'd prefer that you learn about PMS from anyone other than my brother." She continued walking, and a block later, Poromon tried again:

"Then what _is_ the matter?"

"I don't know." It was low, more to herself than to anyone else. "But maybe if I visit Iori and try to help him, I'll figure out what it is."

Iori was still asleep when they entered, but Upamon wasn't, and he was glad for Poromon's company. While they played quietly, Miyako watched Iori sleep. In so many ways, he was the little brother she'd never had, but in so many others, he was the elder brother as well. She'd been his first best friend and had provided as a playmate when his mother and grandfather were too busy. But even with the ten years in which she'd known him, she still didn't know entirely who he was. So many parts of him were concealed in the darkness of his pain from growing up far too soon.

He suddenly moaned, catching Miyako off-guard. In his nightmares, he began calling out for loved ones while she listened. "Dad, please, don't leave!"

Hiroki Hida. As much as Miyako hated to admit it, he was the one who had started all of this. Iori somehow couldn't live a normal childhood after his death. The rest of the names on the list held equal blame:

"Akemi, no, don't jump!"

Akemi Miyahara had committed suicide only four months earlier. He'd been the last link between Iori and sanity, and he'd killed himself in the hopes that it would chase Demon away.

"Mr. Oikawa…"

Yukio Oikawa, friend of Hiroki Hida and host-body of BelialVamdemon. Iori had held him as he died, and the trauma of it shattered his fragile psyche.

"Daisuke! Hikari! Takeru! Ichijouji-san!"

The other Chosen Children had abandoned him in their petty bickering during his moment of need. They rarely came to visit him anymore.

"Miyako!"

With a jolt, she recognized her name and the heart-wrenching sobs that accompanied. Frantically, she searched her mind for anything she could have done to offend him. What had she done that hurt so much?

She soon realized what the answer was as he cried out more names. The sobbing continued, joined by her own tears when she realized that the problem was what she _hadn't_ done. It had been eating away at her much the same way it had been eating Iori. She had visited him, yes, but she had avoided trying to actually help him after Akemi's death out of fear of saying the wrong thing.

Well, that was the last of it, she decided. She would begin reforging that sisterly role so that he could recover. And she would begin the second he woke up. That's what he'd do for her anyway.

* * *

Dr. Ritsuko Iwahara, trusted Resistance doctor along with Genji Yamamoto, watched the fascinating sleep display of the four Chosen Children and their Resistance team's leader. Little Tomoki was held comfortingly in Izumi Orimoto's arms while Junpei Shibayama slept in a chair on the left. In chairs to Izumi's right slept the drunken Takuya and Kage, who had finished that bottle of sake and another the night before in their devastation. Those two were the first to wake and curse the light. 

"Here," she informed, handing them aspirin. "It won't stop the hangover, but it will ease the headache."

Both young men walked to the water cooler and gulped down several cups of the cold, fresh liquid upon finishing their aspirin.

"Takuya, remind me never to do this again," Kage commented. "I feel like shit."

"Just as long as you never tell me stories about your sister again," he replied. "I can barely sift through all this crap in my brain, but I can tell your sister would commit mass murder as easily as—I don't know, eating a Popsicle."

Kage laughed despite the agony in his head. "That's Taiyou for you." He then turned to Dr. Iwahara and asked, "Any change with Himi yet?"

She shook her head. "He's responding to the meds, but it'll take a while before he wakes up, let alone has the strength to move. Whatever this bacterium is, it's deadly."

"Mortality rate?"

"Anywhere from 75 to 80. The figures lessen dramatically to 12 with antibiotics, especially penicillin. The classics still work the best."

"So Tomoki's brother still has a chance to live?" Takuya questioned.

"Yes," she answered, "but…"

"There's still that 12 chance," Kage finished. He peered in the window that had been allowed in the ICU, watching Yamamoto and the nurse work tirelessly to improve Yutaka's condition. He, meanwhile, lay motionlessly in bed, covered with red wheals. Every so often, he'd moan from one of his feverish nightmares, but it did some good to know that he was at least alive.

"We have to free this hospital," Takuya stated, affirming his commander's thoughts.

"I know, damn it, I know. But I'm so wasted I can't think straight." He sighed and pressed his head against the glass. "We'll try for tonight."

"Assuming you're sober?" Iwahara checked.

"Trust me, that's the last time _I'm _going to get drunk like that," Takuya promised.

"Same here," Kage affirmed.

"Famous last words."

Kage laughed a little, but Takuya remained somber. "You know, it's funny," he commented out of nowhere.

"What is?" Kage asked.

"A little over a year ago, we were all so close, or so it seemed," he reflected. "Around this time last year, we were bribing Himi to take us to the park for a picnic. Nobody knew what we'd done in April. Nobody had to. Everything was great, and we finally saw a peace that we'd fought, died, and bled for. And things were better in our lives. Junpei and Izumi made a lot of new friends when they used to not think they could. Tomoki and I were on better terms with our brothers. Kouichi and Kouji had a sister on the way." He smiled fondly at the memories, and Kage and Iwahara took note that he hadn't said Kouichi's name with contempt this time. "Occasionally, we met up with four kids we'd encountered in the Digital World—Katsuharu, Teppei, Chiaki, and Teruo. But for the most part, it was just us. And then a thing like this happens. Kouichi betrays us, Kouji loses the will to survive, Tomoki's about to lose his brother, and the rest of us are completely falling apart. It really makes me wonder how close we really were."

"It has nothing to do with how close or distant you were," Kage informed, a haunted look in his bloodshot eyes.

"What are you saying?" Takuya questioned, turning. "What do you know?"

Kage turned away from the window and slowly walked toward their slumbering companions. "I'd rather wait until the others wake up. Also, Osamu should be here. It's _his_ story."

Takuya stared, puzzled, at the back of his head. What sort of connection did the spirit of that young man hold to Kouichi, other than the role of Kouji's protector? Osamu hadn't told them much about himself, other than the fact that he was from another world, and personal issues prompted him to become involved in Kouji's well being. Also, he had something called a Light Seed that gave him a physical form. That was it. He was a complete mystery. And Takuya wasn't sure if he wanted to solve that one.

"Where _is _your friend anyway?" Iwahara asked. "I haven't seen him since yesterday afternoon."

"He's back in his own world right now," Kage replied. "He's reporting to the people who allowed him to come here. He left last night and promised to be back sometime this morning with some kind of help. I can't deny that we need it." He rubbed his forehead just above the bridge of his nose. "I got an e-mail update from the Chinese team in the Digital World. Hong Kong is free, but the team there is remaining on high alert. However, the Beijing team desperately needs help. Constant raids left them short on supplies, and men are dying left and right. Right now, they're hiding in the Forest Kingdom, slowly starving to death. They're asking for extra support as well as supplies. They think that if they can overtake the crystal castle there, we'll be able to reclaim at least half of the Digital World in two to three years." Sighing, he continued. "But we can't leave this place, especially with Himi sick. I was planning on leaving about half of team here, but we can't even do that. They need a leader. Takuya would have to come with me; we need his experience. Miyagami's too submissive to lead, and after this last stunt, I don't think I can trust Takamoto the same way I used to. Himi's the only one I can trust with this."

"Then I guess this is a bad time to hear _my _news," Osamu surmised, walking toward them.

"No luck?" Takuya guessed.

He shook his head. "Gennai won't even consider sending anyone until the dimensional key is fixed. And Qinglongmon wants me to be patient with the Light Seed. He says that eventually I'll have enough strength to get Kouji out of there."

"Osamu, I think it's time we told everyone," Kage decided, his voice sounding defeated and far older than his fourteen years.

"All right," Ichijouji resigned. "Wake up the others first though. And if anyone has an audio recorder, please record this for Dr. Yamamoto and Himi when they come out of quarantine."

"I'll get one," Kage volunteered, having just woken Junpei. "I have some other things to get anyway."

The sleepy Warriors watched Osamu intently as he sat in a chair across from them, more for psychological comfort than out of physical necessity. He tried to keep his expression blank, yet his eyes retained the same haunting regret the others instinctively knew would be in Kouji's if he was there. They decided there and then one thing that would prove to be true in all of the encounters of their lives:

Blue was the color of regret.

* * *

Takeru Takaishi, nearly twelve years old and already a budding writer, held his head in his hand as he tried to write words onto a sheet of paper. Like all other authors, amateur and professional alike, he'd encountered the demon known colloquially as writer's block. His Digimon partner, Patamon, sighed lazily and stretched at his resting place atop one of Takeru's schoolbooks. 

"It's such a nice day outside," he commented. "Can't we go someplace instead of staying in this stuffy room?"

"And go where?" Takeru asked. "After what Demon and Oikawa put the Tokyo area through, it's not like the public's widely accepting of Digimon right now."

"It was just an idea," Patamon replied, hurt. Takeru had changed drastically in the last five months—all of the Chosen had, and for the worst it seemed. In Takeru's case, he was snappish, unsociable, and almost always angry when the subject of Hikari's obsession was brought up. He just wasn't Takeru anymore.

"How about the Digital World?" he suggested next. Takeru sighed, trying his hardest not to lose his temper with his only remaining friend.

"Patamon, I'm growing up," he answered. "I can't go around playing all the time. I'm too old for it. My days of adventuring are over."

Patamon's long ears drooped around his face sadly as he held his tongue. He didn't want to ask "Then how long before you're too grown-up for me?"

* * *

The Legendary Warriors and Dr. Iwahara watched Osamu intently as they calmly sat in her office, awaiting his tale. Kage held printouts in one hand and turned on a small tape recorder with the other. Setting it on Iwahara's desk, he nodded at Osamu and signaled him to start. 

"As you know, I'm from another world, one similar to yours. It has a world of humans that's linked to a world of Digimon, and there are—or _were_—Chosen Children selected to protect it. The only difference is that our Chosen don't become Digimon; they have partners."

"Like Katsuharu and them with Angemon," Tomoki recalled.

"Yes," Osamu replied. "And instead of elemental Spirits, the Japanese team has Crests that reflect emotional qualities like Courage or Sincerity. There is a Crest of Light, but its powers are different from the Spirit of Light—again, because Crests are emotional rather than elemental. My younger brother, Ken, bore the Crest of Kindness. But then something happened that went terribly wrong.

"He was called to the Digital World in 2000, along with our friend from Hokkaido, Ryo Akiyama. In their final battle against a creature called Millenniumon, Ken was implanted with a Dark Seed, which eventually neutralized his Crest's power and quality."

"Wait," Takuya interrupted, "that Light Seed you have—"

"—is the brother to the Dark," he finished, nodding. "The Light Seed is a creation of the Four Holy Beasts, the Digital World's gods back home. It offers strength, speed, illusionary abilities, healing, and for me, a body. The Dark Seed is Millenniumon's brainchild. It also gives strength and speed, as well as heightening intelligence and allowing for some more supernatural ability, such as astral projection. Kouichi didn't need the Dark Seed because Cherubimon apparently gave him the potential for all of that already. I've seen him willingly use astral projection, and you've seen his accidental projection in the Digital World while his real body was dying."

"Are you saying that the Kaiser came from your world?" Izumi questioned, shocked.

"Yes." Osamu's voice was very low and pained. "It happened not long after my death. Ken was cleaning out my e-mail, letting people know what had happened if they hadn't already heard it. But someone had sent _him_ a message. I was the only one in the family with a computer or an e-mail account, so this surprised him. The letter was from a man named Yukio Oikawa, the unsuspecting host of the Chosen's old enemy, Vamdemon. He instructed Ken to return to the Digital World, but his Dark Seed allowed him to open a Dark Gate to a dark world, known mainly as the Dark Ocean. Ken placed his digivice in the water, and it became a D-3—basically a slightly smaller design of your D-scanners." Kage produced the picture, showing a digivice much like Kouichi's, but mostly gray with black instead of black with gray. "But that wasn't the only change. Hidden deep in the waters was a dark spirit who was just waiting for someone with enough darkness and potential in his heart to come along and set him free. Ken was the only one who qualified, so the spirit entered him and activated his Dark Seed. Less than two years later, Ken re-entered the Digital World and began to take control. He dressed in a mockery of me, spiking up his hair and masking his face with glasses. He took up a name that you will find very familiar: the Digimon Kaiser."

"Oh, God," Izumi murmured as Kage handed her a photo of Ken Ichijouji as the Kaiser. His robes were the same as Kouichi's, but his face and hair looked like a distorted image of Osamu. But then as she began to recover from the shock, Kage passed her a photo of the same young man, but without all the cruelty and splendor. "Oh God!"

Takuya snatched the picture from her and stared for an instant before shoving it to Junpei and demanding, "Is this some kind of a sick joke?"

"No," Osamu answered. "My brother really _does_ look that much like Kouichi."

"The eyes are a little dimmer, and the hair's a little neater, but other than that…" Junpei compared, trailing off. "If I didn't know Kouichi, I'd swear this was him."

"As the Kaiser, Ken committed many horrendous crimes," Osamu continued, "including the gradual enslavement of nearly the entire Digital World with devices Kouichi and Kouji call Black Rings. Kouichi's rings control muscle function and evolutions where Ken's controlled thoughts. To him, it was just a game—until the day his partner, Wormmon, died. That finally did it for Ken. He broke free of the Kaiser and has since been fighting to free our Digital World. The Kaiser was banished back to the Dark Ocean, until…"

"Until January 4, that is," Kage supplied.

"But how did he get free?" Iwahara questioned. "And why did he select Kouichi of all people?"

"The first question we're still trying to figure out," Osamu explained.

"But the second is rather obvious," Kage added, looking at Takuya.

He lowered his head. "Yeah. Kouichi's always been a dark person. Both he and Kouji kept their darker emotions inside and tried to distance themselves from people—probably to avoid the pain of losing them. It's only now that I realize that it was like Kouichi was never really a _friend_ of ours; it was more like he was just someone who tagged along because his brother was our friend. He held no connection to the rest of us."

"Plus he _did_ keep that huge secret from Kouji," Junpei remembered. Iwahara and Kage looked at him for an explanation. "When he found out that he wasn't really alive, he told Bokomon but not Kouji."

"Izumi, in your relationship with him, do you ever remember him confiding in you for anything?" Osamu asked. She paused to think before shaking her head slowly. "No?"

"Then was it more of a mutual crush or curiosity you both gave into?" Kage reasoned. She didn't answer. "I see." There was a long silence before anyone felt comfortable to talk again.

"So what do we do now?" Tomoki questioned. "Can we somehow contact your brother and find out if he knows any ways to stop Kouichi? Hopefully without hurting him too bad?"

"No," Osamu sighed. "We've already sent four people from our world: Hikari, Taichi, Yamato, and Sora—the latter three known to you as Yuuki, Amistad, and Ai respectively. Hikari came only a few days ago, when Kage first discovered the holes in space that allowed him to hack Gennai's files: the same type that let the Kaiser connect with Kouichi. Until that error's fixed, there will be worse problems. After all, the day all of this started, a Digimon tore away the barrier between the Real and Digital Worlds and poisoned them with darkness. That very same thing could happen if we try to bring Ken over without repairing the key."

"But something good does come out of this," Kage informed, pulling out a box from underneath his chair. "There's still some work that needs to be done on Himi's, but for now, these are for the other fighters." He held up a dull gray D-scanner he'd removed from the box.

"What good are D-scanners going to do you?" Junpei asked.

"Our scientists found a serious flaw in the Kaiser's control over his followers," he explained. "It's much like Ken's weakness in using Black Rings—once they were shattered, the victim was free. Kouichi, however, hides it inside his people with black DigiCode. Another team came up with the idea of removing it via your digivices and developed these. So far, they've only worked in battle situations, much like how we usually fight a soldier and wait however long for the control to wear off. It's possible the technique will work in non-aggressive confrontations too."

"Why is my brother's taking the longest?" Tomoki questioned.

"I'm working on evolution plug-ins for his," Kage replied. "France's Digital World team tried it and gained access to a Floramon's Adult and Perfect levels. We hope that it'll work with Gabumon's evolutions as well. But in order for it to work, two types of blood need to be placed in the digivice: the Digimon's and the human's. That ensures that no one else can use it—especially not the Kaiser. It's kind of like creating our own Chosen Children."

"But if anything happens to Himi…" Takuya began, not wanting to finish his train of thought.

"Then it's completely useless," Kage finished. "I'd have to start all over again, but something tells me that Gabumon won't accept another partner if that happens."

"No, he wouldn't," Tomoki remarked somberly. "Yutaka saved his life."

"And he saved Yutaka's," Osamu added. "They're connected by that. It's a hard emotional tie to sever. Harder ones have been broken before, but in the end, one of them doesn't give up."

"And for the hospital?" Iwahara questioned.

"That battle begins tonight," Kage answered. He glanced at his teammates, who all wore the same determined expression. "We might not have saved Kouji's family, but we _will_ save these people. If we can handle this responsibility, we can handle anything."

"Kage!" Takamoto shouted, running into the office. He held a Petri dish and a printout of test results. "Kage, I finished analyzing that—" He stopped short and blanched when he saw Osamu, remembering the disturbing way he'd taken a full round of bacterium-laced bullets without dying. He suddenly felt very sick and forgot his purpose for being there.

"Takamoto?" Kage addressed calmly. Recalling what he was up to, Takamoto turned quickly away from Osamu.

"Oh. Yeah. Right. I, uh, analyzed that sample just like you said…"

"And?"

"And, well, it's sand."

"Sand?" Kage repeated. "Gray sand?"

"Are you positive?" Osamu checked, his voice grave.

Takamoto gulped nervously. "Yeah."

"Does it mean something to you?" Kage asked.

"Yes, in fact," he replied. "I'll be back. Fill me in on the plans when I return."

"Where are you going?" Takuya questioned.

"I'll be back!"

Osamu then passed through the door, not particularly caring who saw him. He was too busy cursing himself for not realizing it sooner. Of course that was what the base was constructed of! The Kaiser was from the Dark Ocean, so why wouldn't everything else be too?

* * *

Kouichi sat at his desk in his study, looking at a report handed to him by Reiyama. He shook his head at the distressing news and placed the red folder aside. 

"Thank you. I presume your unit handled General Rosemon?"

"Yes, my lord," Reiyama affirmed. "Captain Valkyrimon is now in command of that area. She at least remains level-headed."

He sighed. "And Akagami?"

"Dead," answered a new voice, yielding to Osamu's transparent form walking through the door. The moment he solidified, human soldiers and mercenaries held guns to him while Digimon prepared to attack. He merely glared at them cynically. "Go on and try. It won't work. You can't kill someone who's dead to begin with." He then took note of the young Kaiser's robes. They were now completely black, and the short, split cape had become a longer full one also all in black. This was hanging around him from a silver chain. Osamu couldn't help but comment, "Nice clothes, by the way."

"I'm mourning, you bastard." Osamu snorted. "What is it you want?"

"A word with you, Lord Kimura," he replied with heavy sarcasm. "Preferably alone."

"First, what do you know about Dr. Nobuyuki Akagami?" Kouichi demanded.

"Only that he was testing a biological agent on his own patients." Osamu's voice was eerily calm. "One of our men killed him before succumbing to the bacterium."

"It was Resistance-made," Kouichi pointed out.

Osamu shrugged. "We had an extremist. Commander Tenshi took care of it."

"Akagami wasn't working for us."

"And you expect me to believe you? A man who kills his own family?"

"The Resistance isn't the only side plagued with extremists." Osamu met Kouichi's gaze, silently signaling that he was listening. "Rosemon, one of my generals in the Digital World, was buying the bacterium from Akagami in an attempt to wipe out the Resistance caravans in her domain—the forests through the desert. It was genocide."

"And you caught her?" Osamu questioned skeptically.

"Reiyama did. He caught her heading toward Akagami's hospital. We're sending relief to help all the victims."

"Save it. We're doing more than you can."

"And how?"

"We have the notes of the man who created it."

"And the creator?"

"Dead."

Kouichi sneered, unbelieving. "And I don't suppose _you_ killed him?"

"Not me, of course. I'm forbidden."

"Then who?"

"Miss Izumi Orimoto." Kouichi's eyes widened slightly—whether it was from disbelief or fear, Osamu didn't know or care. He was still going to keep this up. "I remember the aftermath quite well. Commander Tenshi had to order Takuya Kanbara to burn every part of his body she dismembered with her Gilgamesh Slicer. The smell of blood permeated every wall in their base even after that, so they had to relocate."

"You're lying." His voice shook uncertainly, as if he was telling himself more than Osamu.

Osamu shrugged once more. "It may be bullshit; it may not be. What matters is that we won't give you the chance to harm those people again."

"Even if I didn't do it?"

"Even if you didn't do it."

Kouichi settled back in his seat and folded his hands in front of his face. "So what was your purpose in coming here?"

"It regards the Dark Ocean."

Understanding now what this was about, Kouichi got out of his chair and walked over to Osamu, instructing, "Follow me." Reiyama and Renamon started to follow, but he added, "Not you. Only us."

They exited the study and walked to the elevator, riding it down to Cellblock 18. Their trip was spent in embittered silence, neither wishing to speak to the other for one of many reasons. When the doors opened to an empty hallway, the young men couldn't seem to exit the car fast enough.

A thousand eyes watched them as they slowly made their way down the cellblock, walking toward the hidden door of Cell Number 24. Night after night, the wretched inhabitants of these godforsaken chambers listened to the dreadful hiss and slam of the cell door, knowing what austere cruelties were happening even better if they could see the horrendous crimes themselves or hear any accidental screams or sobs that might escape the doomed victim. And now that they knew who it was that lived such a cursed life, it was even worse. Flights of imagination became even more horrible every time the Kaiser walked past. No one in particular _liked_ Kouji—emotions even remotely resembling love were dangerous to have if one wanted to survive in a place like this—but it was unanimously agreed among the prisoners that someone so young (his position as the Kaiser's own brother also elicited some feelings of pity) should not have to put up with such an existence. Had he the ability to hear the thoughts of the living as well as the whispers of the dead, Osamu would have felt his heart twist agonizingly at the prayers of "Please not that one!" that ran through these people minds.

It was when they reached Cells 1 and 23 when everyone knew for certain where they were going. As Kouichi walked closer to the door of Cell 24, a desperate woman grabbed at the hem of his cape, begging, "Please, don't! I don't care what he's done against you, but he's just a boy! Don't…"

"Quiet!" Kouichi growled, lashing out with his whip.

With lightning reflexes granted by the Light Seed, Osamu caught the leather cord before it could ever touch the woman. The roots tightened in his arm, restraining him before he could take the opportunity to strike Kouichi, but he simply kept his grip on the weapon and glared at his nemesis, almost daring him to try anything. It was only when Kouichi finally relaxed and turned away that Osamu dropped the whip and knelt in front of the woman.

"It's all right now," he soothed. "I'm not going to let him get hurt. Not anymore. I promise." He momentarily peered inside and saw three children from the ages of one to eight. It was no wonder the woman couldn't stand the thought of Kouji being hurt. "You have a lovely family." Not exactly the most brilliant thing to say—that notion supported by a snort from Kouichi—but it helped the woman smile a little.

"My husband died a couple of years ago. It's hard raising them alone, especially with…"

"I understand," Osamu replied. "Hopefully soon, this will all be over, and your children won't have to see any more of this." Offering a hopeful smile, he stood up and faced the door.

"If you're quite done…" Kouichi commented. Osamu's face became an unreadable mask as the young tyrant opened the cell door. The entire cellblock heard a hiss and a slam as the two boys disappeared into the darkness.

Cell 24 was a vision of Hell no artist could ever fathom to depict. Rather than undying flames of red-gold and blistering heat, it was monotone grays and unending cold and despair. An eleven-year-old boy sat in a corner near the door, dried tears on his cheeks and spirits kneeling beside him. They turned at the sight of Osamu, who merely sighed.

"I can understand that you want to stay with him, but there's little more you can do to help," he murmured. "He's beyond anyone's reach now." They nodded, but maintained their constant vigil nonetheless. Kouichi pretended to ignore the comments given to the unseen phantoms while Kouji couldn't even hear any words.

"Anyway," Kouichi interrupted, his impatience plainly visible, "I see you've finally recognized the building materials of this base."

"Quite original, I must admit," Osamu answered. "But one question: why? And I want it from the Kaiser, not Kouichi."

Momentarily, the air seemed to take a sudden shift to reflect Kimura's mind. If it was possible, the room became even colder. "Pretty ridiculous question."

Osamu did not budge at the chilling combination of both Ken's and Kouichi's voices the Kaiser seemed to have. "Answer my question, Kaiser. I hardly believe this was just homesickness."

"Just try and get the halfling out of here," the Kaiser dared. "I'll even make the walls thin enough for the both of you to pass. If you escape, he's free to leave. I have no real use for him anyway."

Osamu eyed him suspiciously, expecting a term of agreement to this challenge. Upon finding it unconditional, he walked over and helped Kouji to his feet as the walls became paper-thin.

"Come on," he urged softly, holding the young man's wrist. "We're going to try one more time." He placed his hand on the wall and closed his eyes, concentrating hard enough to make both him and Kouji transparent. He managed to get through, but Kouji's arm got caught just below his elbow. Kouji sank to his knees, gasping for air from the pain shooting through his arm until the Kaiser roughly yanked him back inside the cell. Osamu followed quickly to see Kouji clutching his limp right arm, fresh tear tracks on his face.

"What the hell?" Osamu questioned.

"I suppose that sand did a little more than usual with _his_ current state," the Kaiser mused. "If he wasn't so hopeless, he wouldn't have felt such pain. A need to get the sand off before it burned off his flesh, yes, but no pain." Hearing those words, Osamu quickly checked Kouji's forearm to see a bright red ring where the damage had been caused.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered. "I should have realized… If _I_ couldn't handle the pain, there's no way you could…"

"Paralysis also surprised me," the Kaiser continued. "I expected weakness, but I guess he's so bad right now that it completely paralyzed him. It will be interesting to see if he can move it again." Osamu felt the jab of his sharp words. Carefully placing Kouji against the wall, he stood up and walked past the Kaiser.

"I can honestly say now that I prefer Kouichi," he stated evenly. "At least he's a bastard with _some_ heart." Angrily, he stormed past him and exited, but not before hearing the worst insult the Kaiser could give him right now:

"I guess this means you won't be keeping your promise!"

* * *

Ten minutes before midnight that night, the stage was set, and the actors were ready. After a few failed performances, the cast of the Mt. Fuji Resistance Force was prepared to steal the show. Someone had seen fit to play Beethoven's Ninth over the P.A. system to keep the hospital staff awake, yet calm at the same time. The spotlight was on the director, Kage, as they waited for their cue. Everyone in the theater was a potential antagonist for the protagonists, but they were also the victims. Above anything else in the script, they _had_ to remember that. Stage fright and thrill hit them all, but it all dissipated with two words from their director: 

"It's showtime."

Emotions flared in the actors as they ran into the much-anticipated fight scene, letting the drama unfold for an audience of suddenly neutral gods.

Action.

**As in "With Broken Wings," Kouichi's Kaiser robes (at least the cape) are inspired by Darth Vader's from the original _Star Wars _trilogy. The opening scene with Miyako and her siblings was based off of _Serial Experiments Lain._ Yes, Ritsuko is from _Evangelion, _but that's the only name that really fit Dr. Iwahara. There are a couple of references to and inspiration from _The Pretender_: the "Popsicle" line (from the first movie), Takamoto's nervous entrance upon seeing Osamu, and some of Osamu's behavior throughout the last scenes. The final scene, however, takes heavy inspiration from _The Big O,_ which is rife with theatrical references (plus it serves for a good _Big O_ reference in the next chapter). Till the next!**

**Chapter Four: "Plucked Wings"  
****Bandages and splints cannot repair these broken wings. You can be strong without having to prove it. But everyone has a hidden weakness at the same time. Recover your wings and remember to fly.**


	4. Plucked Wings

_"A bird whose wings have been plucked returns to the beast it was before it evolved into a bird and learned how to fly."  
Vera Ronstadt to Angel, The Big O_

_ Recommended Music:  
Scene 1: "Caged Bird," D.N. Angel  
Scene 2: "Sin," Big O  
Scene 3: "Beautiful Fighter," Chihiro Onitsuka  
Scene 4 through Scene 5, part one: "Harry's," Witch Hunter Robin  
Scene 5, part two: "Open Your Eyes," Witch Hunter Robin  
Scene 6: "At Dusk," Noir  
Scene 7: "Tsuki Hitotsu," Gundam Seed_

Black Wings  
Chapter Four: "Plucked Wings"

Taiyou Tenshi—known only to the closest of friends as "Tai"—ran her hands over the strands of fiber optics on a lamp belonging to some long-forgotten refugee in the Digital World. White light became purple, then blue, then green, and finally the same passionate red as the T-shirt she wore underneath a black jacket. It was like some wonderful sea creature bathed in multicolored light and more magical than any crystal ball. Her back faced the door of her dormitory in a makeshift outpost serving as the Chiba Resistance Force's base, so she never noticed her roommate, seventeen-year-old Tori Amano, standing well a ways behind her. It was wise not to startle the eighteen-year-old Resistance fighter; if there was anything more notorious than her battle skills, it was her wrath. She lived off of anger and vengeance, and without someone to blame for the faults of the world, she was likely to lose the desire to live.

Tori knocked on the wood-and-thatch walls, making her friend turn to look at her. Some small part of Amano wished she hadn't. Taiyou's blue eyes were heavy, bloodshot, and circled by darkness. Her blond hair was unkempt, and her attention waved between Tori and the wall. At last, she just nodded her greetings and returned to playing with the lamp.

"That's the most pointless thing we've picked up in all our time here," Tori commented.

"What can I say?" Taiyou replied. "Sometimes I can be a sentimental sap. Just last night, I was depressed enough to eat like my brother does."

"Why were you depressed?"

"I'm restless—in both senses of the word. I can't sleep because I can't make myself stay her any longer. So many things have happened lately: the Kaiser's execution of his own family, he's stepping up his attacks here…"

"He admitted that Minamoto was his brother, if our sources back home are right."

Taiyou was noticeably stiffer with suppressed anger. "Yeah. _That_. All the more reason for me to feel like I'm not doing enough. Not to mention I haven't heard from Kage in two months, so I have no idea if he's alive or not." She laughed bitterly as she stared at the iridescent luminescence of the fiber optics. "It's funny, you know. This one light gives me so much comfort, yet another always haunts me. I ate an entire box of cookies last night." The subject change was abrupt, giving the first insight into her unfocused heart, but Tori hoped to use it to free her friend from these saturnine chains.

"I don't blame you. It's not something we always get in our food shipments."

"After I devoured three cans of stewed tomatoes?" Tori fell silent. Tomatoes were almost a staple in Resistance shipments: easy to cook with, canned ones didn't spoil as easily as ripe, and they supplied vitamin C and other important nutrients. Taiyou hated them, but she ate them only because she had to eat. Still, _three cans…_

"It's something Kage would do, not me," she continued. "He's the one with the large appetite. But then he goes around on his bike and burns it off. He doesn't have the curse of feeling sick because he's so full. He doesn't know what it's like to be confined and held back so he can't burn off that extra weight and emotion…" She fell silent after ranting mostly to herself. She didn't notice if Tori was even there anymore. Her eyes were on the fiber optics. "Amazing, isn't it? Those strands are each made individually of glass. In its normal condensed form, glass is so fragile. Yet when it's pulled tight like this, it somehow seems _stronger._"

Tori didn't speak. Something like this was highly out-of-character for Taiyou. If she was ever restless, she took care of it in battle. And with all of the chaos in the Forest Kingdom, it was no problem for her to go out and release her stress on some hapless Imperial who had the misfortune of crossing her. For her to be feeling this way, stress must have been piling up to the point she couldn't escape.

"Tai," she started, but she was soon cut off as a tall man of twenty-six years stepped in, dripping wet from the rain. He pushed his sopping black bangs away from his gray eyes and stared directly at them.

"Shinichi told me I'd find you here," he commented.

"Kin?" Taiyou addressed.

"Get ready," he ordered. "We're heading to help Beijing. They have an attack strategy to claim the crystal palace."

"Yes, sir," Tori answered.

"Taiyou?" Kin questioned. He studied her carefully for any weaknesses as she placed her lamp in a cardboard box. There were none. He nodded approvingly as she turned around to face him.

"Back to business."

* * *

Under the leadership of Kin Nishimura, the Chiba Resistance Force set out to relieve their Chinese brethren deep in the woods. The constant rain made travel difficult, and muddy paths slipped from underneath their feet. Still, they pressed on, ignoring all inconveniences. A brief meal of unfamiliar fruit gave some fighters the runs, and an ambush by a small encampment of soldiers killed a few and cost Kin the use of his right eye. Yet still, they pressed on. 

Sometime later, the troupe came across blood-soaked earth and rows of burial markers—the first evidence that they were close to their brothers-in-arms. Without Kin even ordering them to, they treaded softly and respectfully kept silent as they searched for both allies and enemies.

Leaves crunched under the weight of some unseen foot. Taiyou readied her gun and quietly snuck over. Whoever had been planning on assaulting her by surprise here was about to get a surprise himself for even fathoming that he could catch _her_ off-guard. She inched closer and closer until she was sure she could hear his breathing…

Suddenly, from out of nowhere, two small figures blundered into her from behind, throwing her off-balance and making her fall hard on upraised tree roots.

Seconds later, a bullet struck right where her head had been.

"Attack!" Kin shouted.

* * *

The first sensation that returned to Taiyou was pain. It pounded in her ribs as she breathed and burned in her closed eyes as lightning flashed. It throbbed in her left temple as she slept and bit into her stiff neck like some twisted kind of vampire. It was pain that flung her into consciousness as she slowly began to accept that she was alive. Through some miraculous twist of fate or a terrible oversight by some god somewhere, she was alive. 

She was in a room somewhere, presumably not as a prisoner of war. Her surroundings were comfortable with high crystalline walls and a large stained glass window. Outside, the storm raged on, its winds snapping the necks of thin branches and its rain beating everything in sight. Lightning and thunder exploded simultaneously, as if infuriated by her luck to live.

She moaned loudly as she forced herself into a sitting position. Bandages covered her entire upper torso, concealing bruised or broken ribs. A piece of gauze was taped over a scratch on her temple. Her neck ached from her lying position on the bed. But being Taiyou, she paid little heed to these frailties of her body and wrapped and tucked her sheets around her like a dress so she'd have something halfway decent on when she left to find her clothes.

There were guards patrolling the hall, and while they didn't _look_ Imperial, she didn't want to take any chances. After all, even if they were Resistance, whoever had bandaged her wounds would not want her out of bed. Either way, it was best for her to creep in the shadows and remain as discreet as possible.

Everyone around her was Asian, but Chinese or Japanese, she didn't know. Patrollers didn't speak; it was an unwritten rule. But considering the crystal walls of the base, she had to assume it was the crystal palace and she was in the hands of the Chinese Imperials or Resistance.

"Are you looking for something?" a masculine voice asked. She turned to see a man in his mid-forties to early-fifties standing behind her. Out of instinct, she tensed and prepared for a fight. "Not very polite, are you? All right, I'll try it your way, young warrior. Defeat me in a match, and I'll let you continue whatever it is you were doing uninterrupted. But if _I_ defeat _you_, you must answer my simple questions."

Competition was believed to appeal to testosterone and other strictly male hormones, yet it appealed to women like Taiyou too. In years prior to the war, she would have been considered too masculine for a woman, perhaps a man trapped in a teenaged girl's body. But now she was what this man said:

A warrior.

"I accept your terms," she decided.

"Good," he replied, tossing her a wooden bo staff. She caught it and placed it under one arm so she could tie her makeshift dress more tightly, insuring that this man and no others would be treated to a peep show. When she was satisfied, she held the staff in a defensive pose in front of her, ready to fight.

He bowed before her, as per custom in the martial arts. She accepted his honorable gesture and repeated it. Both resumed their defensive positions and stared at each other's eyes, trying to read the subtle emotions behind them.

Taiyou advanced first, trying to spear her opponent. But he stepped aside easily and struck a soft blow to her back. She was momentarily dazed from the pain of her wounds, but she spun around quickly and rushed at him again. Again, he stepped out of the way.

"There is a sport in Spain much like this fight," he mused. "Have you ever heard of bull-fighting?" She ran at him again, missing. "The fighter, called a _matador_, holds up a cloth and taunts the bull into charging at him before he steps away." She tried a high strike, like in kendo, but he lifted his own staff to block it.

"This is no fight," she growled. "This is just an old man trying to humiliate me."

"And succeeding," he added. "You are too passionate in this; you try too hard. Control your emotions, and do not let them control you! Whatever has made you so angry—you must let go of it before it devours you entirely."

"And that is why this battle is over," a new voice observed. Taiyou risked a glance to see Kin standing off to the side, his eye sporting a proper patch while he held her clothes in his right hand. Her opponent took the opportunity to strike her ankles, knocking her off her feet. She held back a scowl as Kin threw her the jacket, but she put it on nonetheless.

"According to the terms of this match, you must answer my questions," the older man reminded her. "I have only one for you: What is it that has made you so angry?"

She pulled herself up. "My father's death and a boy named Kouji Minamoto."

"Captain Liu! Captain Liu!" called an unfamiliar voice from down the hall.

"Here he is!" a Patamon informed, having flown ahead. Taiyou stared at it oddly. She'd seen a few Digimon of that type before, but never any that wore a pink belt.

"Patamon, you shouldn't go straying off like that!" the voice from before scolded. Two Digimon rounded the corner next, a yellow rabbit-like one in red tights and a white one with a pink belt. Memory came surging back to Taiyou as she stared at the duo.

"I'm sorry," the Patamon apologized.

"This may have been your castle, but you can't go wandering around like that," the white one informed. "You'll get lost. Now, back in the belt."

"You!" Taiyou recognized, nearly lunging for them—nearly only because a well-placed staff thrust tripped her once more.

Completely ignoring the fact that she was on the floor again, Kin introduced, "Taiyou, these two are Bokomon and Neemon, along with their…child, Patamon." The hesitation in his voice implied that he was unsure of the latter's relationship to the two, or what to call it for that matter.

"And believe it or not, they are the reason you are still alive," the man behind her added.

"More like why I'm lying on the floor in nothing but bandages, my jacket, and a bed-sheet," she muttered, getting to her feet once more.

"Yes, they caused your injuries," Kin admitted, "but they also knocked you out of the path of a bullet aimed for your head."

"I'd say a few cracked ribs and a headache are far more tolerable," the other man remarked.

"And you are?" she asked.

"That man is Captain Jen-Tai Liu of the Beijing Resistance," Kin answered. Captain Liu placed his right fist into his left hand and bowed. "Ironically, his team saved ours when we meant to save them."

"That's just the way life works sometimes," Liu commented.

Kin threw Taiyou the rest of her clothes. "Get dressed and meet us in the innermost chamber."

"She doesn't know where that is," Liu reminded him. There was a cheeky glint in his eyes, reflected in Kin's smirk.

"You're right," he agreed, mockingly cupping his chin and looking up to the ceiling to think. "Let's see, who could possibly know their way around this palace well enough to guide her to the inner sanctums?"

Taiyou gave him a hard, cold glare. "I hate you."

"Bokomon, Neemon, and Patamon it is then," Liu agreed.

"We'll be waiting," Kin informed. "You'll want to stay with your guides. It's easy to get lost here." He continued smirking as she glared and walked away. When she and her guides were out of earshot, he announced, "You can come out now, Tori." No response. "Come on now, you're always shadowing Taiyou. Am I supposed to believe you'd leave her on her own?" From the darkness behind Liu, a black-haired young woman stepped out.

"Yes, Kin?"

"From now on, it's Liu you deal with directly," he warned. "When I'm around, I'm second-in-command." Liu raised an eyebrow at this.

"Yes," Tori replied. "Do you have any orders?"

_Perfect little soldier girl_, Liu realized grimly. He preferred Taiyou's fiery spirit, how she seemingly would do only what her heart said was right. "Yes. Tell me all you can about this Kouji Minamoto—but to Kin, me, and no one else."

"Yes, sir," she answered somewhat hesitantly. And so she proceeded to break her best friend's trust and divulged the events of the past.

"Hmm, very interesting," Liu remarked when she was through. "You may go now." She left and walked in the direction of the inner sanctum. "Did you know of this?"

"No," Kin confessed. "If I had, I would have kept a closer eye on her."

"Be careful not to let your personal feelings interfere with your work," Liu cautioned. "At least until this war is over, _if _it ever ends." He began walking toward the location of the meeting place. "So the Kaiser's admitted brother is in some way responsible for Dr. Tenshi's death."

"Of course, that's only one side of the argument," Kin noted. "With Taiyou, no truth is absolute."

"Correct."

"I think my wandering days suddenly have more meaning."

"Just as I was thinking. While you're gone, try and find any information about him or the Kaiser, even if it's just rumors. This boy may very well be the key to winning the war."

"For which side?"

Liu stared at him intensely. "That we shall have to see."

* * *

Bokomon, Neemon, and Patamon had remained with Taiyou even as she dressed, not that it bothered her too much. After all, war had hardened her and others in her team to the point that they were used to dressing in front of both genders, but whenever she had a chance for privacy, she took it. Her three guides unfortunately had to stand with their backs to her. 

"So what makes you three so important?" she asked as she pulled on her shirt. "How do you know so much about this place?"

"I used to live here," Patamon answered.

"Live here?"

"Don't you know who he is?" Bokomon demanded. When he received only silence, he informed her, "Patamon is the reborn lord of this castle."

Taiyou paused. Normally, she had no trouble understanding complicated issues that came with Digimon, but either the drumming in her head or the irritation from the trio had changed all that. "Run that by me again."

He sighed in sheer exasperation. "Digimon don't die; instead they're reborn for a second chance to live a better life. Patamon had previously been Seraphimon, lord of the palace and one of the three rulers of the Digital World. He died trying to protect the Legendary Warriors and was reborn as Patamon."

"Legendary Warriors?" Taiyou repeated, pulling on her pants. "I think my brother mentioned something about them being on his team. Four of them, right?"

Bokomon looked down sadly. "I'm afraid so. There used to be six, but we lost them both."

"But—" Patamon interjected.

"No, Patamon, there's no hope for him," Bokomon replied.

Taiyou walked over. "How do you know so much about them?"

"We adventured with them!" Neemon declared.

"Believe it or not, he's right," Bokomon explained. "We recorded all of their adventures exactly as they happened while we saw it all."

Taiyou frowned. "In other words, you did the same to them that you did to me: ran into them and nearly got them killed, then followed them around nonstop."

"Yep!" Neemon answered. "That's it exactly!" Bokomon snapped his friend's waistband. Meanwhile, Taiyou groaned. This was going to be one irritating alliance.

* * *

The inner sanctum of the crystal palace was probably the most infamous chamber inside. There, Seraphimon had slept for ages, encased in crystal, waiting for five of the Legendary Warriors to set him free. It was also there that he'd made his last stand before his rebirth as Patamon. And it was in a small alcove nearby where the area's data had been kept, scanned during a battle between the Royal Knights and the strongest two Legendary Warriors. This was the story recited to Taiyou, and she'd listened with mild curiosity, going over the battles in her mind. But she eventually awakened to reality when Liu and Kin called the meeting to order. 

"Members of the unified Chiba/Beijing Resistance Force, listen carefully!" Liu announced, quieting all chatter. "We have now claimed the heart of the Forest Kingdom. It will not be long before we have reclaimed this entire area." Wild applause soon followed. "And now I present Kin Nishimura."

"Thank you, Captain," he replied. "I regret that I will not be here to see this victory, but I know that you will succeed." Sounds of rejoice changed to murmurs of confusion.

"What's he talking about?" Taiyou questioned, seeing the calm expression on Tori's face. "What's going on?"

"Shh," she informed.

"Many of you may be wondering what I mean," he continued. "Sadly, I must inform you that I will be embarking on a private mission, and I don't know when I'll return. Captain Jen-Tai Liu will be in command during that time. When I do come back, I will be second-in-command." He looked at the Captain. "You need his experience.

"But don't think I'm leaving you alone. In addition to Liu's leadership, you will have the guidance of the companions of the Legendary Warriors. Bokomon, Neemon, and Patamon will not fail you. In addition, I leave you arguably the best fighter in the Asian Resistance, Taiyou Tenshi."

"What?" she exclaimed.

"Taiyou's success record rivals even the infamous Yokohama team, and I know she will serve you well."

Kin and Liu could have stripped down and sung karaoke for all Taiyou knew. Her concentration was gone. All she could think of was how hard she was going to throttle Kin for what he'd said. She had a fourteen-year-old brother who, despite his withdrawal from society—enjoyed playing pranks on other people. She knew humiliation even on the Cell 24 scale. This was far worse.

"Kin?" she asked, confronting him. He turned and just ducked the force of her punch.

"You're welcome," he replied.

"Of all the stupid things you've done to annoy me, that's it," she ranted. "You're making it very hard to believe that you're eight years older than me."

"Taiyou, before you lose it again, listen to me," he requested.

"I'll listen, but I won't guarantee I'll calm down."

"What I said back there wasn't to embarrass or glorify you. Everything I said was true, and you know it. You have never suffered any major defeat, and your determination to keep going _makes_ you that strong. It was an honor fighting alongside you, but I think you'll do well—maybe even better—under Liu."

"After I give her a little battle training," he interrupted.

She stared at them both, letting this all sink in. In that span of a few minutes, she suddenly didn't feel like an eighteen-year-old orphan girl with anger management issues and an overwhelming desire for revenge. In that span of a few minutes, she didn't feel like a little girl who was only tolerated because she could occasionally be useful. In that span of a few minutes, she didn't feel any of that restlessness that had been plaguing her for so long.

In that span of a few minutes, eight years difference didn't feel like such a big deal.

"Well then," she answered, bowing. "I'll see you when and if you return." Kin bowed in reply before turning to grab his few possessions. He hefted them on his back and looked back at her.

"When this is over, maybe we can try for something more," he suggested.

She gave him a cheeky grin. "Don't think I'm going to be _that_ easy. Start insinuating any more, and you'll go from wandering to running." He laughed and walked away.

"Tai, are you all right?" Tori asked. "What I mean is, will you be?"

"Why is it that every time something in my life changes, people automatically question my feelings?" she replied. "I'm fine, and I intend on keeping it that way."

Tori smiled. "I'm glad."

"All right then, Taiyou, I'll see you in a few minutes," Liu added. "There's still a lot of work to be done, especially in fortifying this castle."

"Right," she agreed.

The party ended, leaving her with her thoughts. She strayed around the room, acting out every battle she'd imagined the Legendary Warriors to have fought there, reconstructing the past to suit the needs of the present. She took note of the secret exits, where crystal covered brick, and the places where the walls were made of the fragile crystalline panels alone.

"Hmm," she commented, staring at the high walls.

"Is there anything we can do?" Bokomon questioned.

"We need surveillance," she remarked. "Until then, I need you three to keep an eye out for something for me. I'm expecting a box—not very big, but it contains something of mine." Without even waiting for their agreement or disagreement, she set off to wander the palace, searching for any and all lapses in security.

* * *

Daisuke Motomiya was the last to get up and leave his seat to go to lunch. It was a pattern repeating itself daily. When only the sixth grade teacher was left, he painfully stood up and limped over to his crutches while a black Velcro brace tried to hold his injured knee in place. He winced from the effort of bending it as he used the crutches as canes. The teacher held the door open for him as he hobbled out, carrying his lunch and Digimon partner, Chibimon, in his red backpack. He still required assistance until he got outside and sat on a low wall. 

Keeping his bad leg stretched out in front of him, Daisuke placed down his bag and released Chibimon, who handed him the bundle of food. He smiled briefly and opened the napkin to reveal rice and fried shrimp, all cooked by his sister Jun.

"Your sister's been a lot nicer to you lately," Chibimon noticed, munching on a shrimp.

"It's because I got hurt in that battle. She pities me, that's all."

"I don't think so," Chibimon argue, devouring the last of his piece of shrimp before taking a fistful of rice. "She loves you. Always has, always will."

"Five months ago, she hated me," Daisuke protested.

"Psst, Daisuke, Chibimon!" called a deep, feminine voice behind them. Momentarily startled, the partners turned to see Tailmon hiding in a bush.

"Tailmon, what are you hiding for?" Chibimon asked. "No one else is here."

"Patamon's with me in here," she replied.

"What?" Daisuke questioned, trying to fight off the perverted thoughts that accompanied the idea of Tailmon and Patamon in a bush, trying not to be seen.

"We don't want Takeru and Hikari to know we're here," Patamon explained. "There's something important we need to tell you."

Patamon didn't have to tell them that, Chibimon and Daisuke determined as they stared at each other. One Chosen Child never had a conversation with another's partner. It was simply taboo unless both Chosen were family members. It had to be important if this unwritten code was being broken.

"What is it?" Daisuke asked.

"It has to do with the Crests," Patamon answered.

"What about them?" Chibimon questioned.

"Each Chosen Child's Crest displays an important quality he or she has," Tailmon explained. "It grants a power when that trait is expressed, such as evolution to the Perfect and Ultimate levels when the Chosen remembers that quality for which he or she was chosen."

"Hikari's was Light," Patamon added, "and she had shown some disturbing gifts with it."

"The gift—ESP, healing, and glowing," Daisuke remembered.

"Only now Hikari's gifts are limited," Tailmon replied.

"What?" both Daisuke and Chibimon exclaimed.

"It's true. Tailmon's noticed for a while that Hikari strains herself trying to reach that boy in the other world," Patamon reported.

"But he's in a completely different world," Chibimon protested. "It shouldn't be easy for her to sense these things in other worlds."

"She always could before," Tailmon informed. "If the powers expressed were Light or Darkness, they couldn't hide. And this Kouji boy has the power of Light."

"Maybe he's just lost it," Daisuke suggested, lying to himself.

"Or maybe she's the one who's losing it," Patamon responded.

"Shh!" Chibimon hissed. "I see her coming!"

Patamon and Tailmon slinked back into the shadows and departed while Chibimon and Daisuke resumed their old discussion as they ate.

"Jun loves you," Chibimon insisted. "That's why she's being so nice and why she treated you like crap before."

"Not a chance in Hell," Daisuke argued, his mouth filled with rice. Hikari walked past distractedly, never once suspecting a problem. "This is Jun we're talking about. She's always hated me."

"Impossible," Chibimon affirmed, crunching another shrimp. "Brothers and sisters can't hate each other. All siblings love each other—it's a fact."

Hikari halted in her tracks at his words. They stared at her in surprise. Without turned to look at them, she commented, "You'd be surprised how wrong you are," so softly that they wondered if it was meant for their ears. But before they could question her on it, she resumed her walk.

* * *

It was some three days after Kin left that mail arrived for Taiyou. She wore her bandages only because it still hurt to train, so the sight of her with bloody gauze taped to her head caused the messenger to stare with some level of fear. He silently handed her the package, and she turned to leave. 

"Wait," he called, his voice shaky from surprise. He held out an envelope.

"I've got my package," she informed. "If that's supposed to go to the Captain or something, give it to those three." She pointed out Patamon, Neemon, and Bokomon.

"No," he replied. "It's got the same code address as the box." Sure enough, the combination of Greek, Russian, and Roman letters was the same: πрБΩR. The sender was DX943ΛΘ—a code address that rang somewhere in her memory.

She returned to her quarters and positioned the lamp next to her bunk. The shifting colors were caught in the iridescent crystal around her as she sat and carefully opened the envelope. Inside was a letter, written on plain notebook paper with disastrously scrawled kanji. Only one person in the world had handwriting that atrocious.

"Kage," she murmured.

_Tai, I'd like to tell you everything that's happened, but I can't. You know me—your crazy paranoid baby brother stuck in a crazy paranoid war. I know now that's why you wanted me to keep out of it._

_ There's so much going on here, and it feels like you're the only one around I can turn to. We gained one teammate and lost the same day. The whole time we thought he was dead, but it turns out he was captured and enslaved. Now things are so bad for him that he's probably better off dead. We gained another ally too, but he's limited to recon. He can't fight. At the same time, a trusted friend of mine is dying because of some stupid mistake made by other teammates. I feel lost, disconnected, like the whole world around me just shattered to leave me alone among the pieces._

_ Tai, if you get this, please write back. I just need someone to tell me that it's all going to be all right, like you did when I was little. Please help—Kage._

She folded the letter and returned it to the envelope. Kage was advanced for his age and a recluse, but he'd never been this serious, not like this. The last time he'd ever come close to crying was when their father died. For him to be pleading for her help, things must have gotten unbearable.

With the image of him suffering in sorrowful silence burning in the forefront of her vision, Taiyou Tenshi took out pen and paper and began to write.

**In addition to the _Big O_ quote used at the beginning, another reference to that anime is the tomatoes Taiyou had been eating that night. In _Big O_, tomatoes are a metaphor for children experimented on forty years ago. The letter was inspired by the song "Emerald Green" by See-Saw—the end theme to _.hack/Legend of the Twilight Bracelet._ But the final plea from Kage came from _Dragonlance_—sort of like Caramon's "Look, Raist, bunnies!" whenever Raistlin was afraid at night. Chibimon's assertion that brothers and sisters can't hate each other came from a similar line from Jarod on _The Pretender_—I believe about parents and their children originally. And the line about the glass becoming stronger when pulled is directly out of the original "With Broken Wings," when Kouichi made the metaphor about how sand under pressure becomes fragile glass. He'd also commented that when you pressure it "it will become something you don't expect." I had been wanting to have Kouji make a remark about fiber optics later on, when the Kaiser revisited that metaphor, but I couldn't get it to fit. Luckily it managed to here. Well, you know what to do from here. Till the next!**

**Chapter Five: "Empty Prayers"  
****Will the gods listen to the prayers of those who do not believe? Who am I? What am I? These are the idle questions you ask them. Why do you always feel that you must run from the pain?**


	5. Empty Prayers

_ "I try to be strong. But sometimes all I see is darkness—fragments of who I am. Will I ever feel whole?"  
Jarod, The Pretender_

_ Recommended Music:  
Scene 1: "Hinata vs. Neji," Naruto  
Scene 2: "Fate," Full Metal Alchemist  
Scene 3: "Caged Bird," D.N. Angel  
Scene 4: "Before Dawn," .hack/SIGN  
Scene 5: "Angel Voice," Minmei version, Macross 7_

Black Wings  
Chapter Five: "Empty Prayers"  
In the span of four days, nothing had changed. True, the Mt. Fuji Resistance had reclaimed the hospital and was quickly retaking the surrounding town, but nothing else had really changed. Yutaka was still sick and unconscious, and according to Osamu, Kouji was still catatonic. Stress kept building in the team, threatening to consume them as the bacterium had Yutaka. To put it mildly, they were breaking.

Osamu walked into the mess of the Underground Railroad to see Kage scanning through hoards of information on his computer before furiously typing out notes. An entire pot of coffee and a filled cup were in front of him.

"You should get some sleep," he advised. "That coffee's going to do more harm than good to you."

"It's decent this time," Kage replied. "Some mysterious benefactor is making sure we get better food and supplies."

"That's not what I meant," Osamu informed, standing before his friend. "When's the last time you slept?"

Kage didn't even look up. "When I was drunk four days ago."

"It's going to make you sick—if it doesn't kill you on the battlefield."

"I know. But ever time I try to sleep, paranoia wakes me up."

Osamu looked puzzled. "This wasn't always that way, was it?"

"No. No matter what happened, I never had to worry about insomnia. But then, I never had to worry about my own teammates trying to kill each other either."

"Get some rest," Osamu urged. "If the leader suffers, the team dies."

"I know. I know I should, but I can't. So much has gone wrong in the past days that when I close my eyes, I see it all. And when it all wakes me up, I just end up lying there on my cot, trying to figure out how I got here. I mean, I could have just done like my sister wanted and kept out of things. She wouldn't talk to me for a few days after I joined the Resistance, and she was still mad about my decision up until Dad died. Sure, she also joined, but she knew how to take care of herself while I didn't. I could have listened to her. I could have hated the Kaiser in private, but I didn't; I…" He sighed. "And now I don't know what I should do from here. I sent a letter to my sister when Himi got sick. I'm waiting for a reply."

"Do you think she has the answers you need?"

"No. But just knowing she's still alive gives me _some _peace of mind."

Osamu nodded in comprehension. "So what are you looking at?"

"The Kaiser's military roster," he answered. "I managed to hack it."

"What happened to 'print it read it burn it'?"

"Paranoia takes a day off when you're exhausted and stressed. Besides, this was an extremely sensitive security system. I can look, but I can't touch. If I tried to alter it or print it out, the Kaiser would know. I can scroll, but nothing else." He turned the computer and pointed out one name on the list. "Looks like the war's coming closer to home."

"Kamui Shibayama?"

"I was running a search on her when you came in. Junpei's second cousin in Shikoku, now a middle-rank officer in the Imperial Guard. But as far as I know, they weren't very close."

"Still, it's someone else they know."

"Which makes it all the harder." He sighed again. "Where _is_ everyone anyway?"

"Taking part in the religious or spiritual activity of their choice. At this rate, they're hoping prayer might give them peace." Kage nodded, absorbing this.

"Osamu, you're the only one who would know, and it's a stupid question, but…" He trailed off, cursing himself for being so stupid.

"You're asking me if I know if there's a God." It was not a question.

"I know it's stupid, but yes."

It was Osamu's turn to sigh this time. "I can't say. But I can say that our loved ones are always with us, always watching, just as I had with Ken. Your father's still with you and your sister. Just keep believing in what you believe in, and don't worry so much about it."

Kage nodded grimly. "But there's only one problem. I don't believe in anything."

"That's a lie."

He looked up in surprise. "What?"

"You may be an atheist, but you certainly don't believe in nothing. You wouldn't be the leader otherwise. And you believe in your sister." Osamu handed over a letter. "Yours took a while to get there since they've moved to a new location, but she responded as soon as she got it." Kage grabbed the envelope and burned the new address in his head: Lяoα. It was there he could find his sister; it was there he could find relief.

The letter contained sparse details of a recent victory, but all he cared about were the assurances. The comfort offered would be confusing for those who only knew of Taiyou's rough edges and didn't really _know_ her. Kage more than knew her; he loved her and looked up to her. She knew him just as well, and her letter told him everything he needed.

As much as he hated to, he placed the precious note in the fire. When the delicate paper crinkled and reduced to black ashes, he did something he hadn't in many years.

He cried. He cried all alone for his loneness. There was no one there to dry his tears. There was no one there to whisper to him that it would be all right. There was no one there to know, no one there to care. And when he was done and resumed his work, no one knew and no one cared.

* * *

Kouji walked the streets in a daze, picking up discarded weapons and placing them in a heavy oversized sack. He did not see the sunlight behind the clouds. He did not feel the dampness of his clothes from the earlier rain shower. He did not hear the chattering and bickering of other slaves. He did not wear the guise of a Digimon, but of a human. He did not think of anything other than haunting images of senseless hatred that brutalized his mind. He did not love. He did not hate. 

The woman with him did not know and did not care. She was Niabi Utagawa, and she wanted to live—that was all that mattered. What should she care for a boy who did not care who he was and did not care that he was alive? She had no love for him. She had no hate for him. She simply wanted to survive.

By now, pain was beyond Kouji's realm of perception. Any type of feeling was. The memory of his family's death was all that could possibly hurt. And it didn't just hurt. It made him insane. It left him far number than his paralyzed right arm, a defect that left him an open target.

Reiyama had never needed a reason to torment Kouji. He would do as he pleased and invent an excuse later. It was difficult, but he considered himself a creative man; for every attempt Kouji made to look innocent, Reiyama always made him look guilty. But for once in five months, he didn't have to create a lie.

One thing Kouichi had not told his Guardsmen was that his brother's arm was useless. He had not been able to reveal it; the Kaiser knew while Kouichi did not, and he hadn't bothered to inform his host. The only one who knew was Osamu, and he was currently busy with the Resistance.

Take one ruthless Imperial colonel and add a catatonic slave and a medical misunderstanding. Shake well. Serve cold.

Reiyama threw his handgun to Kouji's right side. On any other day, the boy could grab it before it hit the ground, but not anymore with his lame arm. He had to lean over to pick it up with his left.

"You're taking too long," Reiyama snarled. Niabi pretended not to notice as he walked up beside Kouji and ripped the sack off his arm. There was no reaction. "You're not even trying. Pick these up."

Blankly, numbly, Kouji knelt down and started picking up the weapons and tucking them under his left arm. The action only served to fuel Reiyama's temper.

"Not going to use that arm, eh?" he asked in a chillingly calm voice. He located his gun and shot Kouji's right forearm, shattering the two bones. "There. Now you have a reason not to use it."

Had he known what kind of a response that would incite, he probably wouldn't have tried it. Clarity returned to Kouji, along with love and hate. His blank eyes brightened with a cold, hateful light as he grabbed the nearest weapon and swung it at his enemy. Caught off-guard, Reiyama got hit in the jaw, but it didn't take long for him to recover and disarm the boy, twisting his good arm behind his back while holding a gun to his head. Two sets of fierce breathing inhaled and exhaled in unison as two very different creatures took in the same air. That knowledge would have scared them if they weren't so entangled in their mutual hatred to notice. But another realization hit Reiyama as hard as the rifle to his face had. He sneered as he slipped his gun back in its holster.

"No, I can't kill you," he taunted. "That's what you _want_." It took no more than a few seconds for him to take out a ready-made syringe that he kept in his belt for just this type of situation, and he injected it into Kouji's deltoid muscle. It took an even shorter amount of time for the powerful tranquilizer to start taking effect. His eyes dimmed, and his muscles started to give out. Reiyama casually let go of him and watched him drop to the ground. With a morbidly pleased expression on his face, Reiyama walked away.

Niabi waited until the mercenary was far enough away before she bent down next to Kouji and hissed, "Bold move, but stupid. Do us all a favor and don't try it again." She glared as the very last spark of light in his eyes was extinguished, and he lost consciousness. He would not reawaken again, not emotionally anyway.

A woman in the distance placed a pair of purple sunglasses over her dark eyes and walked off into the inner reaches of the city. She had not been able to keep that promise, but she would not fail in her other obligations. There was more that needed to be done.

* * *

It seemed that everywhere Kage turned, there was another temple or shrine. At each of these was somebody he knew from the Resistance or from his life before it. Some of these people he knew personally, others by reputation, face, or name. Others he thought he should know but didn't. They never saw him, but he always felt eyes upon him, the eyes of both dead and living gods, foreign and local, well known and obscure. Good, evil, and neutral gods alike laughed at him, this pathetic mortal atheist who seemed to try to reach their level. He could hear the universe laughing at him, pointing and laughing. He couldn't take it anymore. He had to run. 

Now human eyes joined the spectral ones. Mentally, he cursed himself for spiking his brown hair and dying the tips blond, making himself so conspicuous. Added to the fact that genetics ensured that he was a lot taller than the average fourteen-year-old, and he stuck out like a sore thumb. He was a freak, easily recognizable amongst the perfectly normal Japanese Imperials. They would know right away that something wasn't right about him, that he wasn't one of them.

They would alert the Kaiser, his panicked mind realized. The Imperial Guard would haul him off and force him to reveal his team's location. Then they would kill everyone while he had to watch. And then they would find Taiyou and do the same to her. He could already see her hateful expression. In his mind's eye, she towered over him, emanating an aura of anger the same crimson as blood, as were the clothes she'd worn the last time he'd seen her.

"You bastard," she growled, sounding more like a tigress than a human. "You killed my father." She then tackled him to the ground. The force of impact sent his arms in the air, grabbing for a handhold…

He snapped awake immediately, finding himself lying on secluded road beside a Shinto temple. He'd passed out from his exhaustion and dementia. What he'd told Osamu earlier was wrong. Paranoia did _not_ take a day off, ever.

He sat up, wiping his sweaty face with his equally sweaty palm as he tried to collect himself. He was losing it. He had to be if he was delirious enough to have a dream that he was Kouji Minamoto facing Taiyou's rage. Osamu was right; insomnia was going to kill him if it didn't endanger somebody else first.

He snorted, thinking sardonically, _Wonder if that's the first time anyone puts "insomnia" down as cause of death._ He _had _to get some real sleep soon—only lack of sleep could make him insane enough to think _that_ was funny.

He finally picked himself off the street and entered the temple. This time, there weren't any people around: no priests or priestesses, no worshippers, nobody but Kage Tenshi. It helped him feel a lot more comfortable.

There was a reflecting pool in the middle of the grounds with a small footpath extending over it. He walked to it and stared into the calm waters. Unlike other similar pools he'd seen, this one didn't contain large koi goldfish. Rather, it was supposed to be a liquid mirror, a window to the soul. To better understand himself, he focused on his image in the mirror.

It was as if for the first time in his life he could see, as though coming out of blindness. His brown hair was long, earlobe-length, and spiked out so as not to obscure his vision. That much he could accept for the most part. But the _color_… His mother has been blond, as was Taiyou, but Kage shared the same medium brown his father had had. These blonde tips were just ridiculous—an atrocity that had to go.

_ What the hell was I thinking when I did that?_ he wondered, amused. _Or a better question: what was I on?_

He held his head under the water to wash out all the gel that kept his hair up. When he sat up again, sweeping long dripping bangs out of his face, he pulled a Swiss Army knife out of his pocket and opened the scissors. With a newfound maturity, he cut away the false blond, cutting away his weak, unmotivated persona. And without the paranoid fear of someone checking his DNA, he threw the severed locks into the water. They would eventually decompose and feed whatever microbial life there was in the pool, he supposed. But then…

But then the waters calmed again so he could see his new reflection. He was different and yet the same. Just growing up wasn't enough; there was something else wrong. It was like his reflection was broken.

_ But that doesn't make sense!_ he raged. _Water can't break like a mirror can!_

But all reflections fragmented light. Souls give off light too, darkness too. This kind of light and darkness wasn't tangible—barring bearers of Light and Dark Seeds—but it could still be fragmented in a reflection. Break enough light and it will look dark. The opposite is also true. What light there was in his soul was far more fragmented than his darkness, and it showed him somebody he did not know yet still did. And despite all his knowledge and logic, he could not understand why.

He somehow found himself ringing the shrine's bell. His understanding of the various rituals and traditions in religion was limited, so he wasn't entirely sure what the bell's purpose was—to wake up the gods maybe? He'd never been in a position where he wanted to know these things. But in spite of everything—his confusion, his atheism—he closed his eyes and clasped his hands together in prayer.

"I honestly don't know why the hell I'm doing this," he commented. "I'm not a believer or anything; I'm hardly even a decent human being. I've stolen, I've lied, I've killed, and I'm the leader of a group of rebels fighting against the most powerful nation in the history of two worlds. We're not even a major faction; we're a tiny division of a small but loud resistance. We don't stand a chance."

He sighed and wiped his forehead, opening his eyes and placing his arms at his sides. "We're dying. We're dying inside and out. Himi's still sick with only an eighty-eight percent chance of living. Half of us can't trust each other, and our newest teammate is—I don't know _what_ he is, a Light Tree, I guess. Anyway, he's dead and hosting a Light Seed. And so far, I'm the only one with enough nerve to talk to him. Almost everyone else is terrified of him. Add that he's the only one in the world that can help Kouji—the same guy responsible for my father's death whose entire family died at his brother's hand. I don't know what it is I'm supposed to do. I mean, it's one thing to _say_ you hate your family, but to prove it by killing most of them and torturing your brother? That's something I can't forgive. But at the same time, it's not really him but some kind of dark spirit that's influencing him. And that's what confuses me. I'm supposed to try and help him when all I want is to kill him and that head colonel of his. And my friends want to save Kouji while Tai wants him dead. I'm torn, I'm broken in a million pieces, I…" He stopped and mentally reviewed everything he'd said. In that one instant, the little boy orphan felt even dumber than before. "I can't even keep my thoughts straight. I'm just jumping topics without any focus. And I'm praying to gods I never believed in." He groaned and wiped his brow once more before shuffling out of the temple, feeling entirely stupid.

* * *

White darkness surrounded Yutaka on all sides. He blinked as he tried to adjust. His mouth was dry as he asked, "Where is everybody?" No one answered. Briefly, he wondered if he was still asleep until he saw Dr. Yamamoto walking in the door and turning on the light. The man saw him and smiled. 

"For a while we were afraid you wouldn't make it," he informed. "It's a huge relief to see you awake."

"Where are the others?" Yutaka asked. "Where's Tomoki?"

"They're all fine," Yamamoto assured. "They'll be here tomorrow during visiting hours. I'll let them know you're awake."

Yutaka tried to sit up, but dizziness pulled him back down. He felt extremely weak and tired despite all the sleep he'd had. "Why am I so weak? I thought I was cured."

"No, not completely," Yamamoto explained. "The worst of the illness is over, but you still need time to recover. You could suffer a relapse if you overexert yourself, and we'd have to start treating you all over from the beginning."

"I don't think I can even get out of bed, so don't worry," he replied. "Dr. Yamamoto, the bacterium caused mutations. Is there any chance that there are side effects?"

"As soon as you were well enough to take out of quarantine, we ran several scans on you: x-ray, CT, MRI… Everything checked out fine. However, you will probably have a delicate immune system for some time, so you'll have to watch your health." Yutaka nodded.

"It's funny though," he remarked. "Every time you hear of biological attacks of smallpox, anthrax, or whatever, you think of it as a world away. It never happens to you."

_

* * *

Someone must have had a lot of fun with my name, _Kage mused as he wandered the darkening streets. People were staring at him, and it was uncomfortable, but he didn't acknowledge anyone or anything. Yet still he was alert. After all, he was a little boy lost in the Red Light District, so he had to ignore everything while remaining on guard.

_Kage—"shadow,"_ he thought. _Well, I certainly _feel_ dark, so I suppose that fits. Taiyou means "sun" and she's fiery as hell._

Men and women of questionable reputations began trading each other's touches while they made their way to private and public places. Disreputable adults of both sexes watched long and hard at his attractive young body. He pulled his outer shirt closer to him, though he wasn't cold. He couldn't wait to get out of there.

_I just can't pass out,_ he reminded himself for the thirtieth time. In his time there, his paranoia had re-emerged, sharpened by fears of being sodomized.

_And Tenshi means "angel,"_ he continued, trying to concentrate on anything other than his plight. _Am I an angel? Is Taiyou? No, we're far from it. Neither of us is a living example of goodness._

"Plus I'm lost in the Red Light District walking past the whore-houses," he muttered.

"What was that?" asked a lightly accented male voice. Kage sighed in exasperation. It looked like some pervert wanted to play.

"Look, I'm lost, I didn't mean to be here, and I just want to get out without becoming somebody's fuck-toy," he explained. It was then that he looked up.

It would have been easier if he'd been talking to a male prostitute or just the average pervert. Instead, he was faced with an Imperial mercenary off-duty.

_Oh God,_ the young atheist swore.

He had never met him until this moment, but now he was face-to-face with the man who'd pulled the trigger of the gun that killed his father.

Reiyama _looked_ human—six feet tall, pale skin, blond hair—but his almost yellow eyes were monstrous and frightening enough to leave Kage mute and shaking. There was no way this man could be human; he was honestly and truly the incarnation of evil. That was the one thing Kage could believe.

"Just an accident?" Reiyama questioned skeptically.

"Y-yes," he stammered. "I wasn't paying attention to where I was going…"

From there on, Kage's memory had been blotted out from shame and anger. He just knew that Reiyama had helped him get out of the district with his virginity intact. His self-loathing was at an all-time high. He found a bench in the park and sat down, cursing himself for everything.

_I can't believe it,_ he thought. _After all that, I choked._ "Taiyou's going to hate me. I can't even stand myself for being so weak."

Two voices were arguing nearby. One was Osamu's, and the other he recognized as the Kaiser's. Suspecting trouble, he ran in their direction.

"I fixed it up the best I could!" Osamu shouted. "My healing only speeds up his recovery; it doesn't take away the problem!"

"What use is a Light Seed if you don't have any power?" demanded the Kaiser—or at least the part of him that was Kouichi.

"What use is the Kaiser if he makes you lose yourself?"

He glared. "What are you?"

"What are _you_?"

Before the Kaiser had a chance to respond, Kage stepped in. He was haggard, his hair damp with water and sweat. He could barely walk from exhaustion, and he staggered drunkenly.

"_He's _human," he decided, pointing at Osamu. "I realize it now. Maybe not physically, but he has the emotional qualities that count. You? I don't know what you are. But I guess…you're just like me. Somehow."

"Who the hell are you?" the Kaiser yelled.

Kage shrugged. "I'm not sure. I've been asking myself all day."

"Just head back home," Osamu advised. "I can take care of this. Just an argument about his brother's latest injury," he added at Kage's probing look.

"All right," he answered. "But, Kaiser, you may want to keep closer tabs on your second-in-command. I don't know what he's doing in the Red Light District, and frankly, I don't want to know."

He was tired in body and weary in spirit as he walked to base, this time paying careful attention to where he was going so he wouldn't get lost again. This time, he wouldn't be lucky enough to escape the Imperials. Phantoms played on the edges of his vision, testing his sanity. He tried his hardest to block them out. The last thing he needed was another attack of dementia.

_Just keep going,_ he urged himself. _You'll be all right. It'll all be all right._

But it wasn't as easy as his mental voice made it sound. Walking all around the city all day had taken its toll on him already, so by the time he reached the forests, he was stumbling pathetically, just trying to stay on his feet. He couldn't lose consciousness again, not when he was so close to home.

_Just a little farther…_

"Just a little farther…"

_"Just a little farther…"_

He stopped cold in his tracks, heart racing and eyes wide. That voice… That voice was definitely not his own this time. It was his father's. Why wouldn't it end? Hadn't he been through enough today? He dropped to his knees, clutching his head and crying.

"No," he moaned. "No, just make it end."

"Kage!"

"Just make it stop…"

"My God, Kage, what the hell happened to you?"

"Stop it please…"

Takuya had no idea whom Kage was pleading with or what he was crying about, but he knew what he had to do. As he shouted back to the others for help, he picked his commander off the dirt. The others arrived quickly, and Junpei, being the strongest, practically carried Kage over to their camp.

Not much longer afterward, Kage sat in front of the fire with them, staring into the flames while a pot of spicy pork sausage stew bubbled over the heat. Never before had he been so humiliated. He was older than they were, and here he'd been crying like a baby all over their shoulders.

"I'm really sorry about that," he apologized, mainly to Junpei, who'd been pelted with the most tears from carrying him all the way.

"Don't be," Junpei replied. "The stress gets to us all. And you're not the first to break down on my shoulder."

"Still, it's inexcusable," Kage protested. "I just made a mess of things, and now I'm inconveniencing you even more."

"Stop being so hard on yourself," Takuya advised. "It's happened to all of us, so don't worry." He ladled out bowls of the thick tomato-and-meat stew and some dumplings. "Eat up. You need it."

"I'm not hungry."

"Quit lying," Izumi ordered. "There's no way we're letting you go without eating something."

"It'll be all right," Tomoki assured. Kage looked at him curiously. "Dr. Yamamoto said that Yutaka _onii-chan_ woke up sometime when you were gone. We're going to see him tomorrow when visiting hours start." Finally, a bit apprehensively, Kage accepted the food and began to eat.

"So what made you freak out like that?" Takuya questioned. "I mean, you didn't even realize we were there, and you kept pleading with someone to stop."

The Minamotos' dog, sort of a mascot for the Chosen now, comfortingly rested at Kage's feet while the young man gazed at his half-devoured stew and dumpling. It took him a little time, but finally he answered, "I ran into Reiyama today."

"You what?" Takuya asked. Kage nodded and kept his head down.

"I was there, face-to-face with him, the bastard who killed all those people the Kaiser told him to, including my father." His voice started choking with tears. "But I couldn't do anything. I just stood there, and he had to actually lead me out of there. If it was Taiyou, she'd just kill him and be done with it, but I—"

"But you're not her," Izumi gently reminded him, bringing him into a hug as he started crying again. "You can't compare yourself to her. You're your own person."

"It doesn't make you weak," Tomoki added. "Sometimes you have to walk away from the enemy, or you become them."

Kage sniffed and wiped his eyes. "You're a lot wiser than I am, I can tell you that."

"Get some sleep," Junpei suggested. "You look like you need it." Already, Izumi had placed a blanket over him.

"Yeah," Takuya agreed. "This time, we'll watch over you."

It didn't take much prodding or coaxing to get Kage to sleep. The moment his head hit the soft earth, he was out, wrapped in the secure comfort of his team—no, his _friends'_ devotion. He drew strength from it as he slipped deeper and deeper into his dreams.

He stood in the middle of a dark, cold cell. His sleeping body shivered in spite of the wool blanket and warm fire. Across from him was a younger boy sitting against the wall. His head was lowered, so Kage couldn't tell if he was alive or dead. All he knew was that the boy's father knelt next to him, whispering over and over, "I'm so proud of you, Kouji."

"I'm proud of you too," informed a voice behind Kage. Recognizing it, he turned to see a dark-haired giant of a man favoring him with a kind smile.

"Dad," he realized, running up to his father and hugging him, crying in his arms. It didn't matter that this was a dream. It was real enough for him.

In the night, two different men held two different boys and whispered, "I'm so proud of you, son…"

**I have to admit that when I was writing this, a little voice in my head kept reminding me that Kage's insanity sounded a lot like Hige's from _Wolf's Rain._ I guess there's no denying that show's influence on me, though Kage's supposed to be based more off of Kiba than anyone. In addition to that, there are influences of _Serial Experiments Lain_ and Taoist principles in the philosophy. The part about the Chosen's devotion to Kage actually was inspired by tales of Chinese soldiers and commanders that I've been hearing in geography. And, yes, I did mean for his final moment of insanity to mirror Kouichi's. I have a bad habit of having people "becoming the monster," so to speak. We have the return of the hair-cutting ritual of severing ties from "With Broken Wings," along with a couple of "hidden Mickeys" as it were. Kamui Shibayama is named for Kamui of _.hack/Legend of the Twilight Bracelet_, and according to the manga, her last name was apparently Shibayama. I've been waiting sometime to use that one. Also, the pork sausage is a Diaries in-joke, regarding Misc666, fears of being sodomized, and the food in prison. Also, Niabi Utagawa is an important character in the "Broken Wings" sequel "Cruel Angel's Thesis."**

**And now the $64 million question: Can Kage really see dead people? That's more or less up to you to decide. Remember, he's completely lost his sanity. When you're crazy enough, you'll start seeing anything. Like The Sh33p in "Tides of Darkness," I'm leaving it up to you. But don't worry; there will be plenty of chances to question everybody's sanity—and not just my own. And a big thank you to my 12th grade English teacher for assigning _The Scarlet Letter_, which allowed me to find the word "disreputable."**

**Well, you know what to do by now. You want to leave a comment, just look halfway intelligent when you do. Till the next.**

**Arc 2:  
Chapter Six: "Even Heroes Have the Right to Bleed"  
The world is changing. Nothing good can ever last forever. But that doesn't mean everything's falling apart. Change isn't necessarily bad. It is an eternal part of our lives. One word for goodbye can be the same as hello.**


	6. Even Heroes Have the Right to Bleed

"_Every moment was sacred and mystic  
We were near to the shore of eternity  
The days are gone and will never come back."  
Yuki Kajiura—"Sweet Song" (Xenosaga II)_

_Recommended Music:  
Scene 1: "Mad City Sunset I," Heat Guy J  
Scene 2: "Hear Our Prayer," Tsubasa Chronicle  
Scene 3: "Alone," Naruto  
Scene 4: "Sasuke's Theme," Naruto  
Scene 5: "Rasen," Chihiro Onitsuka  
Scene 6: "Sweet Song," Xenosaga II  
Scene 7: "Superman," Five for Fighting_

Black Wings  
Chapter Six: "Even Heroes Have the Right to Bleed"

The beginning of June had been a rainy hell for those housed in the Underground Railroad and surrounding forest. The tunnels had partially flooded, forcing the Resistance to take shelter in the village, as the trek up the mountain to the settlement was too dangerous. Though the townspeople welcomed them, they weren't exactly happy with the disruption their presence had caused in day-to-day life. They always seemed underfoot, like a bunch of unruly little children making mischief in Mother's kitchen while she was trying to cook. And the fighters couldn't wait to go home either, tired of always having to find a relatively empty place to discuss tactics. So when the rains ceased and the tunnels dried, everyone was relieved.

Because of his illness leaving his immune system vulnerable, conditions had been just perfect for Yutaka to develop a sinus infection. He walked into the mess with a surgical mask over his face in the attempt to keep from getting everyone else sick. He covered his mouth out of habit when he coughed, catching the attention of Kage, who was reading a letter. He hurriedly shoved it in his pocket.

"What were you reading?" Yutaka asked, his voice reflecting his stuffed nose.

"Nothing," Kage answered quickly—_too_ quickly. "It's nothing."

"All right," Yutaka surrendered, locating and opening a bottle of pills. He took a bottle of water to help chase down the medicine while Kage watched him.

"Himi, aren't you forgetting something?" he checked. Underneath his mask, Yutaka made a face.

"Thanks for reminding me," he muttered as he walked toward a portable gas stove. An iron kettle filled with strange bitter herbs was heating over it. Yutaka poured the steeped herbal tea into a Styrofoam cup and removed his mask, grimacing as the vile tisane seared down his throat. When the cup was drained, he covered his mouth and began coughing. But already it was easing, and when he spoke, his voice was clearer.

"I swear this stuff is making my cough worse," he declared, re-covering his face with the mask.

"You're just complaining because it tastes bad," Kage passively remarked. "But whatever Osamu uses from his Light Tree is definitely doing you some good."

"Where is he anyway?" Yutaka questioned. "I hardly ever see him, and when I do, he disappears."

"He took off again." There was a note of concern in his voice. "I think he knows just how uncomfortable he makes people. Even the Chosen don't talk to him. And I think it bothers him." He shrugged. "When he's gone like this, he's usually taking care of the slaves—most of the time Minamoto, but also Ayamisa. It's almost like he's using them to replace his own family." He turned and noticed Yutaka was scratching at red welts on his arm. "What is it?"

"I don't know," he answered. "I woke up like this."

"Allergic reaction?" Kage guessed. "To your medicine, maybe?"

"I doubt it. Some of the others are just as bad."

"That's weird."

"Tell me about it. Anyway, I'm heading off. Going to see if there's anything I'm not banned from doing today."

"All right," Kage answered, waiting for him to leave before pulling out the letter again. Taiyou had written to inform him that she was unable to get time off to visit him, and her commanding officer was keeping a close eye on her to be sure she didn't go AWOL. He laughed, murmuring, "Same old Taiyou."

A sudden tickling sensation began to bother his neck. Quickly, he slapped his hand down on the offensive spot, bringing it to an end. Curious as to the source of his irritation, he examined the tiny black insect carcass on his hand. Its legs were suspiciously long, and a smear of blood trailed out from it.

"Oh shit," he swore. Suspicion on not, he had an infestation on his hands.

He ran out of the relative safety of the fire-lit mess. His clothes still carried a smoky scent, so fewer mosquitoes attacked him as he called everyone out of the tunnels.

"Until we can fumigate the Railroad and manage to keep the bugs and water out, we need to leave," he announced. "People, we're going on vacation."

* * *

Taichi, Yamato, and Sora sat underneath the shade of a willow tree, relaxing during their lunch break. Sora kept kneeling so that no one could see underneath her short blue _fuku_ skirt, but she was fidgeting with the matching sailor-style blouse. 

"Well, two and a half months of school done," Yamato commented.

"Hard to believe it," Taichi replied. "It feels like we've been in high school forever."

"Too bad we don't get to see Jyou as often as we thought we would," Yamato remarked.

"Yeah, but at least it's his schedule and not the fight," Taichi reminded him. Sora, meanwhile, continued nervously playing with her blouse.

"Something wrong?" her ex-boyfriend checked.

"Yeah," she answered, making them both turn to look at her. "But I'd rather it wait until we can talk to Jyou."

"Why?" Taichi asked.

"It's something important I have to do, and he's sort of involved in it—or at least his brother is."

Yamato looked at her intensely. "Shin or Shuu?" There was no response, and it was all the answer he needed. "That's it then."

"I'm sorry," she apologized, turning back to see his hurt expression. "But I need to see if there's something I can do to help. I got Jun to call Shuu and ask him if he and my dad can find any information that can be helpful in defeating the Kaiser and saving Kouji."

"I'm beginning to wish I never agreed to help save him," Yamato muttered, but they all knew he didn't mean it.

"How long will you be gone?" Taichi questioned.

"A year or two," she answered. "No longer than that. And it's not like I'll be alone in Kyoto; I'll be staying with my father." She paused and glanced down. "It's been a long time since I've seen him."

"Then I'm glad for you," Taichi informed. His face was still toward the sky as Sora and Yamato stared at him in puzzlement. "It's important to try and maintain a good relationship with your family. One of us should be allowed to succeed." Yamato felt his stomach drop. His relationship with his mother had always been shaky, but he was currently on thin ice with Takeru. And Taichi hadn't been the same around Hikari since she hadn't shown during the battle with Demon. It wasn't right to put Sora through the same family strain.

After all, he loved her. Despite everything that had happened in recent months, he still loved her.

And that was why it was going to hurt so much to say goodbye, even for two years.

"When—" he started, feeling a lump in his throat. He cleared it and tried again. "When do you leave?"

"End of this week. I just need to pack and everything, let my teachers know so they can transfer everything to Kyoto." She forced a smile. "And it's not like I'm leaving forever. I can still phone or e-mail…"

"It's just not going to be the same without you here." This time it was Taichi, but his eyes were soft and his voice was kind. He was going to miss her, yes, but he wasn't going to let it eat him alive.

Yamato, on the other hand…

The lunch hour ended. Class began. Yamato returned to the halls of academia, feeling the stress of everything weigh him down now more than ever.

* * *

Noriko Yamadera yawned without meaning to. Blushing, she covered her mouth while Sora laughed. 

"Tired?" the upperclassman asked.

"Sorry," Noriko apologized. "I've been up every night fighting."

"I know that feeling," Sora sympathized with a smile, packing a few more pairs of clothes into a suitcase. It was only a few days until her move, and Noriko was assisting in the packing. "All-nighters, cutting class for battles, spending most of summer break defeating tyrannical Digimon—we've all gone through it. It's amazing we can still maintain normal lives."

Noriko's gaze fell on a photo of Sora and Yamato taken back at Christmas. Gently, she placed it in another suitcase. "But don't you miss it? Being normal? Having love without worrying that one of you is going to die?"

"Yeah," Sora admitted, "but think of it this way: If I hadn't gone to the Digital World, I wouldn't have been able to get to know Yamato as well as I did. I wouldn't have had a relationship with him no matter how short. I wouldn't have learned what it means to love. My relationship with my mother would still be strained, and my father wouldn't feel as though he's able to mean more in my life."

"I see." Noriko's tone was sad. "At least you had some good experiences. I still have to live with the Dark Seed."

Sora locked up her suitcase and placed a hand on the younger girl's shoulder. "Things may be rough for you and the others, but you at least know that it's all right to aspire to be something _you _want, no matter what anyone else says. And you have Punimon too."

"Sometimes I feel like I'm doing something wrong," Noriko confessed. "She stays at the Baby I level all the time. She only reaches Child during the battles."

"I'm not Koushiro, but I can tell you that the only problem is that you're too afraid to enter the Digital World. When the rogue Digimon attack, a tear is momentarily left in the boundary between the worlds. Your Digimon take strength from the power of the Digital World, and combined with the danger the enemy presents, they evolve. If you want Punimon to get stronger, you can't be afraid." She turned on her computer and let Noriko come closer, motioning toward Punimon to join them.

"Don't be afraid," Sora whispered as the shaking Noriko held her digivice to the screen. "It'll all be okay."

The red light on the Digital Gate turned green suddenly, and a white flash engulfed the room's occupants. When the brilliant light faded, they were gone.

* * *

It was a beautiful violet-and-gold twilight outside, not that it really mattered in Cell 24. The eternal darkness was only barely pierced by lanterns of Fox Leaf Arrowheads and dying candles that Renamon had to light. 

That boy, that Kouji, fascinated her to no end. Currently, he was staring blankly at his bandaged left arm, almost in a naïve curiosity. It made Renamon wonder if he could still think, still wonder at things. He had only just managed to eat a boiled potato by digging his spoon into it with his left hand. She had watched the whole time as he tried to adjust to being left-handed. Even with his resigned, soulless existence, some part of him was still determined to keep going. But still it was not enough. He was not the same as he'd been merely a month before. They'd succeeded in breaking him. He docile as a lamb now—a sacrificial lamb that realized it was heading to slaughter and nothing it tried would ever spare it. Just as his parents had known before they were killed.

Yes, what had happened to his family was wrong. She knew and understood this; she was not heartless. But she _had _to do it. And something told her that it had not been her Kaiser's plan. He'd treated them well up until now.

Then whose idea was it?

She didn't know, and she had no suspects. It was infuriating to wonder if there was something wrong with her Kaiser and know that she couldn't do anything to help him. Her fury channeled into hate as she watched Kouji in contempt, staring as he stared at his arm and suddenly—

Suddenly he stared right at her.

He couldn't see her behind his haze of grief, but he was still looking directly at her location. It was almost frightening, and she took a step backward as everything in the darkness started swirling in her vision. It wasn't that boy's doing, for he had returned his unfocused gaze to his arm, but Renamon knew she had to get away from him, get away from this darkness.

In the dusk, she stood in the shadow of Hokkaido's trees, the base not far from sight. Her palpitating heart slowed considerably, and her dizziness had faded. It was safe to return home.

But one thing still puzzled her as she returned to her barracks. Before she'd started suffocating in the darkness, before she'd retaken her breath at the gingko trees, had she felt as strong as she did now?

* * *

Daisuke sat on the couch with Chibimon, watching the news. A plate of snacks rested on the coffee table in front of them, and Jun briefly leaned over to munch on some fried wontons. 

"Dried apple and walnut," she noted. "Not bad. Keep cooking like this, and you might become a world-class chef someday." He shrugged impassively, causing her to frown. "Want me to put on a movie?" He shrugged again.

"Might as well. Nothing's on right now." He meant on the news. He wasn't sure what he was looking for, what he was waiting for, but ever since learning about the failure of Hikari's gift, he felt hollow. There was something he needed, but as always, it was just out of his reach.

"Daisuke…"

The phone rang, cutting off Jun's plea. She walked over to answer it while her brother kept watching the news.

"Hello?"

"Jun, it's Shuu."

"Shuu, how's everything in Kyoto?"

"Great, and that's kind of why I called."

"Oh?"

"You know Sora Takenouchi, right?"

"Yes. What's this about?"

"I'm calling because I thought you and Daisuke should know that she's moving her for a while to be with her father."

"What?"

On the other end, Shuu nearly dropped the phone from her shriek. "Y-yes, she is."

"But why wouldn't she or Yamato or somebody tell us?"

"Jun, need I remind you of your previous obsession with him?"

"Shuu, you know as well as anybody that I've grown up in the past few months. I'm not like that anymore—with you or Yamato or anybody."

He sighed briefly. "I know, Jun. I'm just trying to rationalize here. I don't know why they wouldn't tell you and your brother, with him being the leader of the Chosen Children and all. Just, please. Don't go crazy on anyone. And no matter how much grief this causes Yamato by default, show your support for Sora. Show her that there are no hard feelings."

"Don't worry, Shuu, I will."

"That's my girl."

She managed to laugh. "Now you're starting to sound like my father. Quit that, unless you think acting like him will make him like you better when you finally meet."

"Think I should try it?" he joked, making her laugh again. "Talk to you later."

"Okay, bye."

She hung up and turned to her brother and Chibimon—the latter of whom was turned around on Daisuke's shoulder to see her. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Daisuke, Sora Takenouchi is moving to Kyoto." Chibimon looked devastated while Daisuke remained unexpressive. "Don't you even care?"

"I do, but things have gotten so bad that…" He stopped talking and placed his hand over his face. But Jun understood immediately. Things had gotten so bad that it hurt to care too much.

* * *

A pre-teenaged girl waved goodbye as she slung a light backpack over her shoulder and left a garage. 

"See you tomorrow, Yuki," she promised.

"You're going home already?" another girl asked in disbelief. "But your parents aren't even home yet; that's why we've been practicing every afternoon."

"I know, but I need to talk to a friend. From the sound of it, he's in trouble."

"Oh. I hope things work out, then."

"Me too." And with that, Chiaki Horaki set off.

A year and a couple of months prior, Chiaki had been one of many children in the Tokyo area who had been called to the Digital World. Of the many, only six were allowed to remain. But two boys, Katsuharu Suzuhara and Teppei Aida, had decided to stay and had convinced their two companions, Teruo Nagisa and Chiaki Horaki, to do likewise.

She found herself smiling fondly at the memory as she walked to the park they'd agreed to meet at. Life in the Digital World had been good. Katsuharu was their older brother and always kept watch over them to be sure they'd be all right. And Angemon had been a wonderful friend, however stiff and unemotional he'd seemed at first. He had been entrusted to care for them, and eventually care he did. He'd almost seemed to regard them as his own children. But then—and her smile faded—then he was killed in battle trying to defend them. If they'd only listened to the Chosen Children and not tried to prove themselves against the Royal Knights, Angemon might still be alive.

"Remembering the days of old?" Katsuharu asked, seeing her face. The quartet's unanimous leader got up from his bench and walked over to her. "Come on, _imouto-chan_," he half-teased, "tell _niichan_ what's wrong."

"Nothing, actually," she replied. "Like you said, remembering days of old—the good and the bad."

He nodded. "Yeah, I know what you mean. I miss him too. Hell, I miss all of them."

"Are we thinking about the same 'them' here?" the shorter and more impulsive Teppei questioned.

"Depends on whether or not you mean all the Digimon we befriended during our bout of stupidity," he answered.

"Yeah," Teppei agreed. "Sad but true, they're probably all dead now. And if you start blaming yourself for it again, let me remind you that we didn't exactly knock you unconscious and haul you back home ourselves. We were all ignorant back then."

"True," Katsuharu yielded. "You know, I wonder if they'd even remember us. I know what Tomoki and everyone said about Digimon being reborn, but they never said anything about memories. After all, Patamon didn't seem to remember anything about being a Great Angel—whatever it was they said."

"Where's Teruo?" Chiaki asked.

Katsuharu shrugged. "Don't know."

"It's pretty irresponsible," Teppei commented. "He calls us here and then he doesn't show."

"Maybe he texted us the wrong location," Chiaki suggested, but all speculations were put to rest when the missing party finally appeared, jumping a fence and running over.

"Hey, Teruo, what's up?" Teppei called.

"Yeah, we were starting to get worried," Katsuharu added while the slightly smaller boy keeled over, panting.

"Sorry," Teruo apologized. "I wanted to get over here sooner to tell you, but my C.O. wouldn't let me go."

"C.O.?" Chiaki repeated.

Katsuharu's eyes met Teruo's as older brother stared at younger. He could see every detail of the other's thoughts, desires, and intentions as skilled as any telepath. And why shouldn't he? He was the one who knew Nagisa best. Or that's what he thought. This was something he hadn't expected.

"So that's it then," he commented in disappointment, turning away.

"Katsuharu…"

"I really thought you were smarter than that. Guess not."

An unexpected fury burned in Teruo's soul, making him shout, "How can you say that, knowing how many of our friends died? You dishonor their memory!"

Without warning, Katsuharu spun around, his fist out. It hit Teruo in the jaw, and the surprising force threw him back on the concrete, where he sat holding his injury and staring back in fear and confusion. And though he was the one who'd been hurt, he began to apologize:

"Katsuharu, I'm sorry, I…"

But Katsuharu turned around, refusing to let the other see his face. His voice was calm and deliberate and he informed, "Just go on then. Do what you think is right. Fight under whoever's banner you're going to. Just don't forget who you're doing it for."

Silently, Teruo got up and left, knowing very well that it was the last time the four would be together like this, would regard each other in the same way. What mistake had he made? He could not turn back from it now that he'd signed his soul away.

He never saw the tears that streamed down Katsuharu's face. No one did; Teppei was too angry and Chiaki too numb. He didn't hear the whispered words that missed the other two's ears:

"Goodbye, _ototo-chan._"

* * *

Sora stood in the train station, her bags on a cart beside her with a purple teddy bear sitting atop them, watching diligently for their ride. Her mother was next to her, the only person she'd asked to see her off. She hadn't been sure she wanted to see any tear-streaked faces other than her mother's right now. 

"You honestly weren't going to leave without saying goodbye to us at least, now were you?" asked a voice from behind her. She turned to see Taichi standing and smiling with Yamato right behind him. Where Taichi was at least giving his best try at looking cheerful and supportive, Yamato was visibly depressed.

"I asked Dad and Shuu to call all of you…" she tried to explain. "I just didn't want to have to bring you all out here to say goodbye. I wanted it to be easier for you."

"I guess the bearer of the Crest of Love would know the best way to show her own," Taichi replied, nudging Yamato forward. Sora stared awkwardly at her former lover as he stood before her, unable to speak.

"So," he began, motioning at the bear, "any potential boyfriends I have to worry about?"

"Actually, Jun gave me that," she answered. "She stopped by earlier today to give it to me. She would have seen me off, but I asked her not to. I didn't want her to feel too upset."

"Why?" Taichi questioned out of sheer curiosity. "The two of you were never really close friends."

"I know, and so does she. That was why."

"Take care," Yamato wished.

"Write soon," Taichi made her promise.

"I will," she replied. "And I'll call as soon as I get there." She then hugged them both as the train arrived. She grabbed her luggage and took the opportunity to kiss her mother goodbye before boarding. She waved to all of them as it left for Kyoto, for a new beginning.

"Are you going to be okay, Mrs. Takenouchi?" Taichi checked. The woman was sniffing and dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief.

"Yes, yes," she answered. "I'll be fine. It's only right that she gets to see her father—after all, we're not divorced, so he has as much right to custody as I do." She took a breath and compulsively folded her handkerchief. "What about you two?"

"Don't worry about us," Taichi informed, "we'll be—"

Suddenly, and without any reason, Yamato broke into tears on his best friend's shoulder.

To Be Continued 

**The title comes from a line in Five For Fighting's "Superman." Admittedly, the idea of Osamu's herbal tisane that Yutaka hates came from Raistlin of _Dragonlance_, who must drink a concoction of herbs created by Par-Salian in order to relieve the terrible cough that came as a result of his body shattering in exchange for magic. The mosquitoes came from good old Florida, plus a little supplemental inspiration provided by Studio Ghibli's _Grave of the Fireflies._ And if Yamato seems to be acting out-of-character, yes, he's supposed to be like that. Even the others will notice he's being pathetic. The last names of Katsuharu and company are from _Evangelion:_ Hikari Horaki, Toji Suzuhara, Kensuke Aida, and Kaworu Nagisa. Why did I give them these names? I have my reasons.**

**Chapter Seven: "Twilight of Mnemosyne"**

**Was there a time before we felt such pain and sorrow? Drink the waters of the river of memories and look back on the days of old. Who is behind all this pain and sorrow? Is there a chance we'll ever be free?**


	7. Twilight of Mnemosyne

"_Every moment was sacred and mystic  
We were near to the shore of eternity  
The days are gone and will never come back."  
Yuki Kajiura—"Sweet Song" (Xenosaga II)_

_Recommended Music:  
Scene 6: "Sweet Song," Xenosaga II_

Black Wings  
Chapter Seven: "Twilight of Mnemosyne"

Sora sat in her new bedroom, dressed in sleeveless white pajamas with a red sash around the neck opening. Though it was barely twilight, she was exhausted and ready to go to bed right after dinner. With the help of her father, she'd gotten everything in order, but it had tired her greatly. She lay down on her bed, stretching out a little bit so the legs of her pants would slip back down to calf-length. But as she turned her head, she saw the purple teddy bear sitting next to her.

Jun had suddenly shown up at the Takenouchis' apartment, thrusting the bear into Sora's unsuspecting arms. The younger girl stared blankly in confusion before managing to voice the most intelligent thought she had:

"Huh?"

"Going to leave just like that?" Jun had asked. "Well, I'm not letting you."

"Jun, but…"

The other girl's serious expression broke into a grin. "Not without that, anyway. It's one of my favorites, so you'd better take care of it."

"Your favorite?" the flustered Sora repeated.

"Mm-hmm," Jun replied, nodding.

"Then why give it to me?"

Jun's smile shrank a little bit, but it was still there as she answered, "Because we never got a chance to be friends, and I hope this can help us start."

Sora began smiling as well. "Thanks, Jun. And can you do me a favor?"

"Sure."

"Take care of Yamato and Taichi for me."

"Of course. Just as long as you promise to take good care of my Kuma-san."

Sora had smiled even more. "Don't worry. I will."

And now she let the memories settle, trying to ease her mind into a twilight sleep.

_I wonder how everyone's doing back home, _she mused as she closed her eyes.

* * *

The Ishidas' apartment had always smelled of cigarettes, but now beer added to the odor. Taichi felt like he was in a cheap bar as he stood beside the melancholy and hung-over form of his best friend, who sat with his head resting on the table, drowning in his own pathetic existence. 

"God, Yamato, that was fucking stupid," Taichi swore. "This isn't like you. Get up!" But Yamato refused, making Taichi groan as the doorbell rang. Exasperated, he walked to the door and let in Jun.

"So how is he?" she checked. Taichi pointed his thumb in Yamato's direction.

"It's just as I told you. I can't even get him to budge."

Jun flashed an evil smile that sent chills up and down Taichi's spine. He'd faced Devimon, Etemon, Vamdemon, and the Dark Masters, but none of them had ever scared him as much as she did just now. "Don't worry about anything, Yagami. I'll take care of it."

Casually, she walked over to the table and fiercely slammed her hands down on it. Yamato jumped out of his stupor to see the furious glare of Jun Motomiya right in front of him.

"Get up!" she ordered, but unlike with Taichi's command, he listened. She then began picking up the beer cans and crumpled composition sheets off the table and shoved them in his hands. "Throw these out. Honestly, you live like a pig!"

Taichi stared in frightened awe as she made her rounds around the kitchen, shaking her head in disappointment while Yamato threw out the trash. But then Jun spotted the brunet and called, "And what are you doing standing there? Come over here and wash the dishes so I can start cooking!"

"Er, yes, ma'am," Taichi replied awkwardly. Even _his_ courage and stubborn leadership were dwarfed in the face of an angry woman!

Taichi started washing out bowls, plates, and chopsticks under Jun's strict supervision. When she was finally pleased with his work, she opened the fridge and started looking for dinner items.

"That's hardly enough rice to feed three people!" she declared, staring at the container in the nearby pantry. "And how old is that meat? It belongs in the garbage!" She threw out said meat and removed the meager portion of rice from the pantry before turning to Yamato. "Head to the store and pick up the ingredients for chicken _tempura_." But then her nose crinkled up, and she sniffed his clothes. "Ugh, forget what I said. Before you do anything, go take a shower. Yagami, you'll let me know if he disobeys my orders?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Good. Then I'll be off. Make sure everything's clean by the time I come back!" And as cheerfully as she'd entered, she left.

Taichi shook his head in amazement as he rinsed off a plate. "Forget the Kaiser, that was…" He then looked at his dumbfounded friend. "Yamato, do us both a favor and _never_ piss her off again."

"I'm going to go take a shower," Yamato decided, still in shock.

"You do that." Taichi exhaled and continued washing the dishes. At least there was no chance of Yamato getting depressed again as long as Jun was around. But of course, as long as Jun was around, there was no guarantee that he'd come out of it alive either.

* * *

It was the same old same old. Kouji was in his usual depression when he came in from clearing out debris in the woods of Hokkaido, so Osamu was coaxing him to eat, trying everything benign he could think of. Even _his_ patience was on the verge of breaking. 

"I know you're not feeling well, but you have to eat even a little bit to regain your strength," he urged. "Come on, Kouji." He took a glance to his right. "Your parents are right here with me. They can't stand to see you like this. Please, for them." He wasn't sure if his words made any impact in the boy's broken mind, but nevertheless Kouji took the spoon and began to eat. Osamu sighed in relief while the spirits of Kouji's family knelt in silent, intangible support.

"He's refusing to eat?" Renamon questioned, phasing in.

"I've taken care of it," Osamu informed. "The air is thinner here, and it's making it harder for him to breathe. He'll probably get better when we get back to Honshu—hopefully. With his depression, he's getting sick a lot more easily. I'm doing all I can to boost his immune system, but it's draining me." He rubbed the space just above his eyes. "But what does any of this matter to you?"

"Why do you try so hard?"

"What?"

"Why is it that you do so much to help him?" she asked. "Even when the outcome is hopeless, you still give so much of yourself. Why is that?"

"Can we talk about this outside?" he requested.

Renamon's ears twitched in confusion. "Why? He doesn't comprehend what we're saying."

"I'd rather not talk about someone while pretending he's not here," Osamu answered.

"And talking behind his back is politer?"

"Please?"

She sighed and nodded. He was so much like a child this way—sincere, innocent. One could say he was almost naïve. But at the same time, he had the wisdom of the ages.

Just like her Kaiser.

The two took refuge behind a Buddhist temple, where no one could disturb them. The beautiful Zen gardens around them imposed calm, and the scent of distant flowers drifted upon the warm air. Osamu could feel his Light Tree body draw strength from the peace and slowly regenerate. He marveled at the strangeness of it all. In the midst of an ugly war, there were still places of beauty where life was the center of the universe.

"Well, are you going to answer my question?"

Osamu's glasses caught all of the sun's glare, masking his eyes from Renamon as he responded, "Why do I spend so much time helping him? I never really gave anyone a straight answer before. I guess most of it has to do with my brother."

"Go on," she urged when he paused.

"My brother, Ken, is the same age as them, and Kouichi reminds me a lot of him. Not just in physical appearance, but in personality too. They're both a little timid around their friends but can turn into fierce leaders when the need arises."

"You still haven't answered how it relates to the younger twin."

"Call him by his name!" Osamu shouted, startling Renamon. He forced himself to become calm and apologized. "Sorry. It just irritates me to no end to hear people refusing to call a person by name. We have them for a reason."

"Names are extremely important to humans," Renamon observed. "I do not understand. We Digimon all share the name of our kind, much like your family names. In a clan, if we need to refer to a specific person, we say, 'Please, daughter, fetch the elder,' or 'Cousin, please assist me.' even those not related to a certain family are regarded as cousins, elders, daughters, and sons."

"That's much of the way I see Kouichi and Kouji," he related. "To me, they are my brothers, and I treat them as such." He was quiet for a second. "I guess sometimes I forget they're not really related to me. There are even times when I forget that Kouichi isn't Ken, and that's usually when I'm angriest at him."

"It seems I've finally gotten a straight answer out of you," she noted with some amusement. He cracked a half-smile.

"Heh, guess you did. So what about you?" he questioned. "I couldn't help but notice that you have a more devoted loyalty to Kouichi than most."

"He is not the monster you and the Resistance seem to think he is," she explained. "Otherwise he would not have done so much good."

"Good?"

"The world is better and safer than in previous years, with people honestly caring about what happens to one another."

"Then explain the slaves and how he'd go so far as to murder his own family."

"That was not his doing. I know it."

"How?"

"He'd kept them alive that long."

"He tried to kill his own brother!"

"Out of a fit of rage. Tell me, you yourself have not done regrettable actions against your own brother?"

He bit his tongue in order to keep himself from yelling anymore. He _had_ done things he was not proud of but not on the same level of cruelty. Then again, it had been his outbursts and temper that first planted the seeds of hatred in Ken that made him so perfect a candidate for the Kaiser. That meant that everything thereafter had been his fault.

"All right," he surrendered. "I see your point. But if it wasn't Kouichi's idea, then whose was it?"

"I do not know. But I am investigating the matter."

"Any suspects?"

"None, unless you have suggestions?"

"I do." His serious face made him look far older than eleven living years, she noticed. This was a young man who had seen true evil and knew its name. "Colonel Reiyama."

Her ears twitched in surprise. "Reiyama has always been a devoted follower. He owes my Kaiser a great debt for saving him from the death penalty."

"I know. And it's that very thing that frightens me. If he can't even maintain a life debt, then it proves he has no morals at all. You've seen what he's done, what he's capable of. How can anyone like that be trusted?"

"As much as it pains me to say, my Kaiser is naïve. He does not quite realize that even among his most loyal, he is in danger. That is why I must protect him so. And I will keep your suggestion in mind. Anyone else?"

"None right off the bat."

"Then I will take leave. But before I go…" She held a paw in front of the opposite shoulder, creating a single Fox Leaf Arrowhead, far harder and brighter than any normal one. She then handed it to him. "A token of my respect."

"Thank you," he responded, but as she turned to leave, he shouted, "Wait!" He folded his fingers over his palm in a loose fist. He then closed his eyes and let the Light Seed bloom. When he opened his hand, there was a flower resting in his palm. The white blossom resembled a hybrid of a rose and a magnolia, but its scent rivaled both. He handed Renamon the strange and beautiful flower, warning, "Don't be too worried if it dies. It has many seeds. You can plant them wherever you like whenever you like. It doesn't take long for the trees to grow. And they can adapt to their surroundings, becoming bonsais if the must."

"Thank you," she replied, taking the flower. "And now I must go." She faded away in front of him.

"And so must I," he murmured, doing the same.

* * *

A man parked his Vespa in his designated space and practically ran inside, holding a plastic bag. Iori watched this from his window as he finished the last of his reading homework. His tutor would be administering a test the next day, so he needed to study. But the further the year went, the harder this home schooling became. He was tired of isolation, but at the same time, he wasn't sure if he was ready to return to a public school environment, with children all around him that had no idea what he'd seen and done. He didn't ask for sympathy, but he needed someone to understand. He sighed and closed his book. He needed help, but he wasn't sure if he could get it from doctors and schoolwork. 

Shin knocked on the door, getting his attention. The boy left his desk and let in the intern, who was carrying a plastic bag.

"I'm sorry if it looks bad," Shin apologized, revealing a cake in the bag. The icing was starting to liquefy, but other than that, it was fine. "The butter cream started to melt in the heat. I tried to get it here fast enough, but I'm not sure if I made it in time."

"It's okay," Iori assured.

"Well, happy birthday."

They pulled out a table Iori and Upamon used for dinner and placed the cake atop it. While Shin sliced three pieces, Iori retrieved his chair and an extra for Shin. The first slice went to Upamon, who pounced on it eagerly.

"You'd think he hadn't eaten at all today," Shin commented in amusement.

"He likes sweets," Iori half-heartedly offered.

"Well, I figured your mom and grandfather already got you one with fruit, so I took a chance with butter cream and candy pieces," he explained. "It _looked _good when I bought it, so…"

"I understand," Iori replied. "Let's eat."

Though the cake was good, he kept breaking it into little pieces with his fork, feeling far too full to eat whole pieces. Shin considered informing him that he wouldn't be offended if the boy couldn't finish, but he held his tongue. He'd learned not long ago that the late Hiroki Hida had instilled some very strong ethics in him that governed every action he made. One of them had something to do with eating everything on his plate. And Shin didn't want to sidestep any morals when it came to Iori's fragile spirit.

"I'll put the rest away for now," he offered. "That way you and Upamon can have cake for the next few days."

He walked over to the mini-fridge Iori had been given and started to put the leftover cake inside when he saw the fridge's contents. In addition to a few drinks and snacks the Chosen Child and his partner shared, there was another large cake inside, with six portions cut out. Four would have provided the Hida family, but the other two disturbed him. There should have been more gone of that cake.

"Mom and Grandfather came by with Miyako and Poromon this morning," Iori explained.

"Only them?" Shin half-shouted.

"Please, Shin, understand," Iori pleaded. He was too close to tears for comfort, and Upamon bounced into his arms to offer consolation. "Jyou had a test in cram school today, so he called to let me know and wished me a happy birthday. He promised to be here later. Sora moved away, and Yamato got sick, so Taichi and Jun were helping him recover. Daisuke was left home alone, and I think Hikari was grounded after she snuck away to the other world. Koushiro stopped by quickly, but he was going to visit his birth parents' graves. Takeru's mother's birthday was today too, so he had to stay home."

"And Ken?" Shin questioned.

"He and I didn't get along until around Christmas," Iori confessed. "I don't think he knows my birthday was today."

Shin finally calmed himself down and apologized. "I keep forgetting that our lives are just as chaotic as mine—maybe even more so. I'm sorry." He then casually took note of a few wads of wrapping paper in the wastebasket. "So, did you get any good gifts?"

"Mom and Grandfather got me a new camera so I can take pictures of the Shinsengumi actors at the Aizu festival this fall. Miyako got me a CD, Koushiro bought me a couple of books, and Jyou said he's bringing my present later."

"Sounds good," Shin replied. "Sorry I couldn't get you anything…"

"It's okay. This is more than enough."

A nurse suddenly entered with a small package wrapped in colorful paper. She handed it to Iori, informing, "A young man left this for you, but he asked me not to tell you who it was."

"Why?" Shin asked.

"He said he'd figure it out on his own," the nurse answered, leaving.

Puzzled, Iori tore open the paper to find two _manga_ volumes. One was _Peacemaker Kurogane_, and the other was _Yahiko__no Sakabatou_. Lying atop them was a note:

_I skimmed through these to be sure that nothing in here might offend you, but I think they're okay. Have a good birthday._

It was signed by one Ken Ichijouji.

* * *

Koushiro knelt down and placed an offering of carnations at the feet of the graves. There they were—the people he'd been wondering about for so many years. He'd almost felt ashamed by asking to see them, but he knew he had to do it at least once in his life. But what was he supposed to call them? "Mom" and "Dad" were two completely different people. He supposed formality was best. 

"Hello, Mother, Father. I'm sorry I took so long to visit. I was never sure what I wanted to say."

Good start, good start. But for all the genius he was, he still didn't know what to do. And so, just as he had when logic failed him in the Digital World, he put his trust in his heart. His Crest-trait was Knowledge; if his head didn't know what to say, his heart would.

"It took me four years to gather the courage I needed to do this. l was always afraid that if I asked, I would alienate my new parents, your cousins. They've let me see pictures of you from family gatherings. I look a lot like you, Mother, with your red hair and build, but my face is more like yours, Father. I wish I could have gotten to know you. And I wish you had known me. I've done a lot in the past few years. I've even saved the world. I hope you're proud of me." He stood up and stared at the names for a moment: Koushiro and Saeko Sasaki. Then he bowed and returned to his other parents.

The car ride home was silent. Koushiro sat in the back, still feeling somewhat guilty.

_I don't mean to cause them any pain,_ he reflected. _I just had to know. I hope they understand._

"Koushiro?" interrupted a voice.

"Yes, Dad?"

"We're going to make another stop before we go home."

"Where?" he asked.

"Another graveyard," his mother answered. "Near Hikarigaoka."

"My brother then?"

It wasn't often that Mr. and Mrs. Izumi mentioned their first son, the one that had died as a baby and spurred them further to adopt their cousin, Koushiro. But hearing him refer to the baby as his brother was a comfort beyond words. More than anything else, it reassured them that he would always consider them his parents.

"Yes," she replied. "We're going to see your brother."

* * *

As he walked down the beach, Yutaka decided that he liked Okinawa. Something about the neutral island had brought happiness to the Chosen after half a year of depression. Maybe it was the calm surroundings. Maybe it was the way Imperials and Resistance alike could just enjoy themselves and were forbidden from fighting. Maybe it was just the fact that they were finally having a vacation. But whatever it was, he liked it. 

_Maybe I should look into moving here when everything's over_, he mused.

"Hey, Himi!" Kage shouted. A fire burned under the bright blue stars, and teenagers in bathing suits and T-shirts sat around it, ready to eat. "The lobster's boiled."

"Great," he replied. "I picked up dessert."

"What'd you buy?" Takuya questioned. Himi held up a couple of bags of candy.

"I've got fruit drops, candy stars, assorted chocolates…"

"Think you can pass me the fruit drops?" Kage asked.

"Sure." He handed over the bag and watched Kage take two lemons and a strawberry and drop them in his water bottle. He then began shaking it, mixing the candy with the water while everyone watched. But soon, Yutaka began to laugh.

"Underground Railroad my ass," he declared. "You got that from _Grave of the Fireflies_!"

"Huh?" Izumi questioned. Having grown up in Italy even for a few years, she hadn't had the chance to absorb as much of Japanese culture, such as classic anime.

"_Grave of the Fireflies_ is a World War II movie made my Studio Ghibli," Kage explained.

"In it, two children try to live on their own in a bomb shelter built in the side of a hill, a lot like the Railroad," Yutaka added. "There's a scene where, finding they're low on fruit drops, the older brother adds water to the tin to make juice from the last few candies. I'm surprised he'd remember that."

"I didn't know you liked Studio Ghibli movies, _onii-chan_," Tomoki commented.

"There's a lot you don't know about me, Tomoki," he answered. "I was ten when you were born, so by the time you were in school, I was in the middle of high school. We never really had a chance to talk."

"Well, I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm hungry," Takuya announced. "Let's eat!" With a round of approval, they took the lobsters out of the pot and started eating.

But after dinner, Yutaka lay back on the warm sand to stare at the stars. They were brighter than he'd ever seen living in the city. The taste of oranges slipped around his mouth as he sucked one of the hard candies. Meanwhile, the others were searching through the bags for their candies of choice and promising to stock up on some when they got home.

Home. Home was where all the craziness was. For now, he wanted to forget home and just try to enjoy himself. But unwanted memories of a spoiled little boy kept haunting his mind. He could see this boy crying as he lost fights to schoolyard bullies. He had to watch the boy cling to his parents because he was too afraid to make friends. But this boy was no Tomoki. He was Yutaka himself. And it had always disturbed him at how the past seemed to repeat itself.

There was one difference. He'd had Masahiro and Arisu. They'd befriended him when he was about seven and had shown him what it was like to have nothing. They were orphans supported by a local temple in exchange for a vow of servitude. They had remained his friends through college, and the last time he'd seen them, they were an apprentice priest and assistant priestess respectively.

_Tomoki had to learn the hard way,_ he realized. _He had to be taken away from everything he knew. But then, he came out of it for the better, I think._

"Got any thoughts you'd like to share?" Kage checked, sitting down and drinking his makeshift strawberry lemonade.

"Just wondering what happened to our parents," he lied.

"They're safe. Kae saw to it before she was captured and we got her to Odaiba. Now that your lie is out of the way, what's really going on?"

"How'd you know there was more?"

"As far as I can tell, Osamu is the master of bullshit." He shrugged modestly. "I've had to learn to tell when he's telling the truth or not. It helps. So what's up?"

"Just not really sure I want to go home."

"I don't blame you. I don't want to leave either. It's so peaceful here."

"But at the same time, if we want to preserve this peace and neutrality, we have to fight."

"Exactly. Ironic, isn't it?"

"So what's on your mind?" Yutaka questioned. "I doubt you came here just to ask me what I was thinking."

"When we do have to go back, we don't need to keep on high alert like we used to. And with Osamu being able to keep an eye on the Kaiser all the time, we're going to have a lot of free time."

"So what are you suggesting?"

"Something that we wouldn't have the chance to do if we'd gone to the Digital World. We need to go to school. And it's not just starving off ignorance—we need to learn the math, history, and science of war. We have one fighter already who's made a huge mistake with his knowledge of biochemistry—"

"I know."

"You know better than anybody. If that sort of thing ended up in the Kaiser's hands, just think of the damage it could cause. We need to know how to prevent or cure that."

"Education is a matter of life or death now."

"Exactly."

"But I'm in college. I don't think there are any universities as Mt. Fuji—none that I've seen anyway."

"Then we'll started a new one," Kage decided. Yutaka looked at him as if he was crazy. "We can get professors and everything at the settlement—Resistance University, Mt. Fuji campus. What do you think?"

"I think you're an absolute lunatic."

"Runs in the family."

"But if you can make it work, go for it."

Kage grinned at his lieutenant's comment. Yutaka showed him a similar one. It seemed that maybe there would be something worth going back home to after all.

* * *

It was just another day full of hard labor for the slaves. They had frankly gotten sick of Hokkaido's treacherous rocky countryside and all the dangers that came with it. Four workers had already hurt themselves slipping on the uneven ground, as had six Imperials. The Kaiser had promised everyone that they'd leave soon, as even he was getting sick of the constant accidents. In fact, Kouichi was already discussing with Renamon other ways to rid themselves of these accidents. 

"The mines have caused almost as many injuries off the battlefield as on," she informed him.

"I know," he replied. "I never meant for those things to cause so much damage—that's why I ordered so little explosive material in them to begin with." He sighed. "We're going to have to get rid of them immediately."

Suddenly, there was a great commotion on the mountainside. Apparently, someone else had slipped.

"Who now?" Kouichi breathed in exasperation as he and Renamon hurried to the site of the accident.

There were a few people crowded around, but the duo managed to push through to see why everyone was so interested. In the center of the throng was Kouji, sprawled out on the ground and bleeding. Osamu clutched the young man's ankle, trying to prevent the damage yet to come. His face showed his strain, and Renamon guessed he'd used too much of his Light Seed's strength. She pulled him away, being sure not to touch his blood-covered hands.

The wound looked bad. Sharp rocks had torn open the skin and left it only almost as a flap over the cut. Sighing, Kouichi hefted his brother onto his back and carried him out.

When the crowd had lost interest and left him alone in the wild, Osamu stared at his bloodied hands. This wasn't right; he should have changed form!

_Light reacts to its source_, he remembered from Qinglongmon's warning.

Only there wasn't enough light in one of them to react.

And the problem didn't lie with Osamu.

It was time to get answers.

**The Koushiro scene was something I've been wanting to settle since the end of season one. They had a great subplot going on, and it just got forgotten with his smaller part in the second season. And the lighthearted scene with Yutaka and Kage…that's what I call a "Markie and Chinny" scene (from The Sh33p's "New Age" saga), where the characters act a lot lighter in order to keep the series from being too dark, kind of like the Flash's role in the older _Justice League_ episodes. The names Masahiro and Arisu came from the _D.N. Angel _manga and _Serial Experiments Lain_ anime respectively (Masahiro being Saehara's friend and Arisu/Alice being Lain's closest friend). And, yes, everything mentioned about _Grave of the Fireflies_ was true, though I had the idea of the Underground Railroad before I watched it. I figured that might as well be the source of Kage's inspiration.**

**Now, for the Shinsengumi references in the Iori scene: _Peacemaker Kurogane_ is a manga and anime series about two boys, Tetsu and Tatsu, becoming apprenticed to the organization in Tetsu's naïve desire to avenge their parents' deaths. Tetsu, however, learns the hard way that he's not cut out for the constant killing of the Meiji Restoration, which works well with Iori's similar situation. _Yahiko_ _no Sakabatou_ is a special chapter of the _Rurouni_ _Kenshin_ manga detailing an incident in which a grown Yahiko must try to peacefully solve a hostage situation without even drawing the _sakabatou_ Kenshin gave him. And there are several Aizu festivals annually, but I found the Shinsengumi reenactments listed in the autumn ones.**

**And in case you're wondering, Mnemosyne is the River of Memory in Greek mythology. I got it from the _Sailor Stars_ manga where Sailors Lethe and Mnemosyne confront Sailor Moon, Princess Fireball, and the Starlights. **

**Till the next!**

**Chapter Eight: "Sing the Crescent Moon"**

**Sometimes waiting is the hardest thing you have to do. Trying to keep up the image of a normal life, all you can do is bide your time until something happens. When adventure calls, answer. You never know what you'll find.**


	8. Sing the Crescent Moon

_"Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, when only one remembers to turn on the light."  
Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban movie_

_Recommended Music:  
Scene 2: "Robin," Witch Hunter Robin_

Black Wings  
Chapter Eight: "Sing the Crescent Moon"

Osamu displayed his blood-covered hands to Qinglongmon, who remained silent for several seconds. Finally, the great blue dragon god asked, "And you didn't change at all?"

"No," he answered. "I didn't even feel anything other than the healing I was concentrating on. And I had been sure that I was going to cause a panic since I couldn't concentrate on stopping the change to begin with."

"You're right," Qinglongmon agreed. "This is serious. Have you discussed this with the Resistance Commander Tenshi?"

"Not yet," Osamu confessed. "I wanted to know if this was really a crisis or just a one-time fluke."

"I doubt it is just a 'fluke'," the god replied. "You may have to take his Spirits and have them choose someone else. It will undoubtedly be hard for them to do so, but I think it's for the best." But Osamu shook his head.

"I can't. They're so tightly bound together that I might kill either the Spirits or Kouji if I separated them. They agreed to bond with me that one time and that one time only because they knew Kouji was in danger. But they won't or won't be able to do it again."

"That's too great a risk to take."

"And I don't want to make any sacrifices when the need's not that great."

"Remember that you may need to make that sacrifice."

"I know. I haven't forgotten. But it remains as a last resort only. Right now there's still a chance that Kouichi is in there. I've spoken with one of his soldiers, one extremely loyal to him. We both agree that someone in his ranks is using him as a puppet."

"Are you sure you can trust this soldier?"

"Yes. As ironic as it sounds, I believe she is so devoted to him that she'd betray him to the Resistance if she thought it might help him."

"Is there more to their relationship than just commander and soldier?"

"I don't think so, at least not on his side," Osamu answered. "But at the same time, I'm very young. I wouldn't be able to recognize these kinds of details."

"It's not because you are young," Qinglongmon corrected. "It is because you did not see such details when you were alive."

Osamu lowered his head slightly at the reminder that he was dead. When he talked to Renamon or Kage, such things like that didn't matter. It was nice to occasionally forget.

"Is there something more?" Qinglongmon questioned.

"Yes," he replied. "I want… I want to be able to fight. Not to fight all of their battles, but to protect them as necessary. You know that one of the fighters in the Resistance became ill and I had to use my power to help save him. I want the freedom to help prevent that again."

"Very well," Qinglongmon answered. "But you will only fight if there is no way out. You are restricted to defense only."

"Thank you. That's only what I wanted anyway."

"Osamu, wait a few weeks or so before you do anything," Qinglongmon advised. "Keep an eye on everything and intervene only in the most desperate of situations." With that, he vanished.

"You don't have to remind me," he commented. "I will."

* * *

"Hey, Yuriko, we're going to the movies," called a girl. "Want to come?" 

"Sorry," the addressed girl apologized. "I have to help Ryuichi with his homework. He's just not getting it."

"Third time this week," another girl noted. "Are you two secretly dating?"

"No!" Yuriko protested.

"Give her a break, Midori," the first girl warned.

"What, you want him too?" Midori questioned.

"Nope. He's not my type. I actually prefer Raibashi-sempai in the seventh grade class."

"I'm going now," Yuriko informed.

"Okay, see you later!"

Yuriko Fujihu walked off the elementary school campus and toward the wooded areas in back. An unassuming manhole protruded amongst the trees. Yuriko, looking carefully to be sure that no one was around, removed the lid and climbed in, replacing it after her.

"I swear, you're just asking for him to discover your identities," muttered an annoyed male voice below her. A young man with messed brown hair and bright blue eyes stood against the concrete walls. He was dressed in the uniform of the local high school, the gray blazer unbuttoned, his shirt halfway un-tucked, and his tie wrapped around his hand. "Ryuichi Sanada I'm not as worried about unless the Kaiser is a closet old anime fan, so Takuya should be okay." He then started ticking the other names off his fingers. "_Yuki_ Nagami—snow. Shun _Rai_bashi—thunder. Yuriko Fuji_hu_—wind. It's just as bad as if the Kaiser borrowed _my_ name."

"As if Masaki Nishigawa is any better," she replied. "You use that name all the time."

He shrugged. "It leaves me with a trail, a set identity. People are less suspicious that way." He motioned toward the tunnel. "Come on, Izumi. Let's get back."

"Yutaka's picking up Tomoki?" she checked.

"Yeah. Again, less suspicious if an older brother is picking up the younger. But I am worried that 'Ronin Nagami' will be discovered because of his brother's careless name."

"He should be okay. We've made it this long after all."

"If memory serves me correctly, Takuya and Junpei are picking up supplies?"

"Yes. Kage?"

"Yeah?"

"It's been more than a month now that we've been hiding in plain sight like this. It's the end of July and Kouichi hasn't done anything since _that day._ Does it mean his planning something big again?"

Tenshi's face darkened considerably. With a grim, solemn voice, he replied, "I wish I had an answer for you, Izumi. Right now, it's hard to tell. We're just going to have to trust Osamu's judgment and information. He's the only spy we have." She nodded. "Come on, let's go home."

* * *

Yamato yawned and stretched as he tried to concentrate on his homework. On one side of the table, Taichi was alternating between drinking soda and eating potato chips. On the other, Jun had turned her chair around to help quiz them. Before, that seat would have been occupied by Sora, who would have been writing down notes as the trio quizzed each other. But she was in Kyoto now, and Jun had agreed to take care of her friends. Things had steadily improved at home thanks to her, and e-mails and calls to and from Sora described their gradual adaptations. 

"Come on," Jun urged. "History isn't that hard."

"I never pegged you for an expert in it," Taichi commented.

"I have Shuu to thank for that. Since we started dating, he's been telling me about the historical significance of just about everything in Japan, and luckily for you, it stayed with me."

"You're really serious about him," Yamato observed, taking a sip of his Coke and fighting off a yawn. That was the last time he bought caffeine-free cola for their study sessions.

"Well, it's not like we _can_ be too serious right now. I mean, this is my last year of high school, so I've got college to think about and…"

"And is there any chance that you'll be going to the university in Kyoto?" Taichi asked with a sly and wicked grin.

"Shut up!" she declared, throwing snack food at him. "I swear, you get more of a kick out of this than Momoe!" The doorbell interrupted her further throttling of him, and Yamato rose to get it. Behind the door was—

"Takeru?"

Jun and Taichi turned at the mention of the younger brother. Despite how close the brothers had become after the Digital World, they were slowly becoming estranged after all of this new Kaiser business. Like Taichi and Hikari, their relationship was strained at best; at worst, it didn't exist at all. So when the young blonde boy appeared at the door, his posture completely relaxed and casual, it was a surprise. Yamato even blinked a couple of times as if to assure himself that this was no optical illusion.

"Hey, Yamato," the younger greeted. His voice sounded guarded, like he was trying to suppress his often overactive emotions. Yamato briefly wondered if he'd done something to anger Takeru, and even Taichi and Jun exchanged puzzled looks.

"Is there something wrong?" he checked, just in case anything was.

"No," Takeru answered calmly, handing his older brother an envelope. "Can't a Chosen Child give his big brother a gift to commemorate their first trip to the Digital World?"

"It's still only July," Taichi commented. "You have about a week."

"Hi, Taichi," Takeru greeted from the door. "I didn't realize anyone else was here. I just wanted to give Yamato his gift."

The elder of the Takaishi-Ishida brothers had by now opened the envelope and was currently staring at the airline ticket that had been inside. "France?"

"What?" Jun cried as she and Taichi leapt up and ran to their friend. Takeru looked very amused as they stared at the ticket in absolute shock.

"Damn, Yamato, you get all the luck," Taichi joked. "Though—no offense, of course—I'm glad it's you in Paris instead of me again. Your grandfather is crazy."

"Yeah, it was Grandpa Michel who came up with the idea to begin with," Takeru informed. "I just suggested the first couple of weeks in August. We'd be on break, and considering I have a feeling there's going to be a lower turn-out on the first…"

"Takeru, I don't know what to say?" Yamato confessed.

"What's there to say?" Jun asked. "Just get packed, get a passport together, and get on that plane!"

Takeru laughed. "Hi, Jun. Glad to see you're taking care of my big brother." He then turned his attention back to Yamato. "Please say you'll come. It'll mean a lot to Grandpa."

"Sure," Yamato answered, still somewhat in shock. "I just need some time to get ready."

"Okay," Takeru replied, smiling. "The plane leaves on the twenty-ninth, so I think we'll at least be there by the first of August. I have to go now, but hopefully I'll see you before the airport!" He then left while Yamato stood as stunned as ever. Taichi and Jun were still as excited as ever, though.

"I can't believe you're actually going to Paris!" Jun declared wistfully.

"Yeah, his grandfather on his mom's side lives there," Taichi explained.

"Actually, he lives in a small cottage outside the city," Yamato clarified. "That might have changed, but I'm not sure. I haven't seen him in years."

"All the more reason for you to go," Jun reasoned. "Where's a suitcase? I'm going to get you packed!"

"I've never seen you so anxious to get rid of Yamato," Taichi joked. "Could it be you've finally fallen for me?"

"Oh, yes," she teased back. "I want nothing more than to be alone with you so we can work on your studies."

"Aw, that hurt. You're not even trying to play along."

"If I did that, your ego would get a boost, and that's the last thing we need."

While his friends bantered back and forth, Yamato sank into his chair and stared at the ticket. He knew his father wouldn't object to his going, but he was still trying to figure everything out. Just a few months ago, his entire world fell apart. The group of friends he'd come to trust with his life had fallen apart over a trivial little thing. He had to act as the leader on a dangerous excursion into the unknown that nearly cost his best friend his life. Then his ex-girlfriend—a status he prayed would improve—moved to a distant city.

And now this had happened.

_Could it be that my luck is finally changing for the better?_ he wondered.

A small crash sounded from his bedroom, followed by Jun's "Sorry!" and Taichi's "Oh, God!" Yamato woke from his daze and went to help clean up the mess. His luck had changed, all right, but not when he got the ticket. His luck had started changing the minute he realized what his Crest-trait meant. And while Friendship had its ups and downs—

"Ow, damn it, Jun, that was my foot!"

"Sorry!"

—there was really nothing better.

* * *

There was nothing the quartet could do to stop the rampaging Unimon. Plotmon had been thrown back into her partner's arms, and Tsukaimon was barely conscious. Psychemon and Piyomon were the only ones still on their feet. 

"Retreat," Noriko ordered weakly. She was exhausted and on the verge of collapse. And as she and the others ran, the Unimon could see that. He unleashed a Holy Shot right at her, and just as she turned to look, her partner jumped in the way.

"Psychemon!" she cried.

Bright light engulfed the area, as though Psychemon had absorbed the attack. When it finally faded, a beautiful Gururumon stood in her place.

"Psychemon?" Noriko checked. The wolf nodded and lowered her head for Noriko to touch. The girl ran her hands over the soft, strong fur and smiled. Not long ago had she and the other Dark Seed children mustered up the courage they needed to go to the Digital World and let their partners evolve to their Child levels. Now Psychemon had managed the Adult level. Noriko had never been so proud.

But then she began coughing badly, keeling over in a fit. Gururumon warned the others, "She's sick again! Get her to safety! I'll take care of this."

"No," Noriko gasped out in protest, pushing back her friends' arms. "No, Gururumon…"

"I promise I'll be back," she replied. "I always will be." Finally, Noriko smiled and nodded.

The children and Child Digimon took refuge in the outskirts of the woods, setting down both Noriko and the injured Digimon. While Takashi Maehata cradled his Tsukaimon in his arms, Hiroshi Kamioka and Piyomon sat down, one to draw with the materials from his backpack and the other to eat. Keiko Hayashi came over to Noriko, holding Plotmon.

"She'll be all right," Keiko informed.

"I know," Noriko answered between coughs. "She promised."

"And as long as you believe in her, she'll continue to be all right," Keiko replied. "Now, we need to do something about your cough."

"It's nothing, really," Noriko informed. "It can't be much worse than a cold."

"But still, you came here while you were sick…"

"I'll be okay." She smiled to add emphasis to her words.

A drop of rain fell on Piyomon's head. He looked up in surprise as it began to drizzle. His partner swore softly and put his drawing back in his backpack.

"We'd better find some shelter," Takashi suggested.

"I think I saw a TV nearby," Hiroshi commented.

"We can't leave Psychemon behind!" Noriko protested.

"Who says you're leaving me behind?" Gururumon questioned, running up to them. "Get on, everybody. I can get you there faster."

"Good," Plotmon answered, "because this rain isn't helping your partner's cough." Noriko made an annoyed face in Keiko's direction. The other girl merely smiled and shrugged.

These routine battles in the Digital World had become just that—routine. Almost everyday, there was a new battle, and the Dark Seed children regularly split into groups of four or five to handle it. It wasn't bad enough that they suspected a new enemy, but it was often enough that they suspected the dormant evils in the Digital World had heard of the strife within the core Chosen Children and were taking advantage of it. And the new Chosen had to clean up the mess.

"Hey!" called a voice as they neared the TV. Gururumon stopped, and all the kids stared at the boy who had flagged them down. It was their friend, idol, and mentor, Ken.

"Ken?" Hiroshi questioned in disbelief. He'd been locked up for months in his room, researching God-knew-what in relation to the rift in the Chosen.

"What are you doing here?" Takashi asked.

"I noticed readings of a small disturbance here."

"Well, you're a bit late," Noriko informed, keeping her mouth covered. "Gururumon took care of it." She then fell into another coughing fit, making Keiko gently support her in an attempt to help. When the fit subsided, Noriko gave her a thankful look.

"I'm glad to see you've evolved," Ken congratulated, "but to tell you the truth, I wasn't coming to help. I figured you would have noticed it too, so I took the chance to find you guys. I have some questions to ask, if you don't mind."

"Like what?" Keiko asked.

"First, let's get out of this rain," Ken advised. "Then get some medicine, Noriko, and meet me at my apartment—it's Number 303."

The quartet nodded and followed his instructions to the letter. If there was one good thing that came out of being the Kaiser, it was that Ken had a knack for leadership. Whether on the battlefield or the soccer field, teammates followed his orders because they knew he was a competent leader. Even if he didn't lead them to victory, he was still one of the best they knew.

When the group finally gathered at the Ichijouji apartment, a plate of cookies and mugs of warm cocoa had been set out for them on the kitchen table. Ken's parents were still at work, leaving them free to talk about Chosen matters that might worry the adults. The Digimon joined Minomon on the floor—all save Tokomon, who rested in Takashi's arms because of injury—while the children sat down to the unexpected afternoon. But Ken seemed troubled, and his concentration started to waver between the meeting and the reasons behind it. Noriko watched him carefully as he stared long and hard into his mug before he took a sip at last.

"What is it you wanted to ask us?" she questioned.

The apartment suddenly became very quiet. Everyone turned to Ken as he distractedly twirled a stick of strawberry pocky between his fingers. Finally, he set it down and sighed.

"You do know about the new Kaiser incident, right?" He was met with soft answers in the affirmative. "Well, I've been doing some digging in my past and his. So far, I've found a few connections, but I need to know it from you. What drew you into the darkness to begin with? I know you had all given up on your dreams, but what else was there?"

There was general silence for several minutes. Ken considered withdrawing the question and returning to his solitary investigation when Noriko spoke up.

"I've always been sick," she informed, "and I've been in the hospital so many times. When I was younger, I had the fear of death taken away from me with all the times I'd been seriously ill. My immune system's still delicate, and I still can't keep up with the others sometimes, but I was worse back then. I'd started to think that it would be better to be dead and that it would be easier on everyone. I guess that was the start of it all."

"I was the school's benchwarmer when it came to sports," Takashi admitted. "I wasn't the fastest, the tallest, or the best at anything, so I was always the last to play. Other kids used to say I was bad luck or that I'd cost them the game. No matter how much I tried to improve, it didn't mean anything to them."

"I was and still am pretty shy in class," Hiroshi added. "It was hard for me to make friends, and even when I did, they said I needed to get serious and stop daydreaming. Finally, I just stopped caring—or at least pretended to. That's how I ended up on that truck: I was alone, depressed, and standing on a bridge when Archnemon found me."

Keiko looked like she was ready to cry. Sensing her partner's emotions, Nyaromon jumped up to her to offer comfort so she could finally speak. Part of Ken wanted to tell her that she didn't have to do this, but the other part knew she had to.

"My parents were bakers. They taught me how to bake bread and pastries. But then my father died, and my mother couldn't make enough money from the bakery to support us. She had to sell it. My dream was to be a baker, but more than that, I wanted to carry on my parents' business. When my father died, my dream died with him."

"It's not dead anymore," Noriko comforted. "You can still carry it on, just not in the same building. And it's not the place that made it worthwhile; it was the heart they put into it." Keiko gave a small smile and nodded.

Ken reclined back in his chair, absorbing the details. He had a few more people to ask, but so far, he'd gotten the same answers: death and isolation, the same as his own reasons for his descent into darkness. It was entirely possible that Kouichi Kimura in the other world had the same story.

But first, he had to figure out more about the boy, and more importantly, the Kaiser.

* * *

They walked along the sidewalk near his apartment building. She felt her way around with a white cane; he slightly limped like an old man. 

"I'm sorry, Daisuke," she apologized, "but I can't go on like this anymore. You've changed too much. You don't seem to have any faith left in yourself of anyone else. I miss who you used to be." He nodded. "But I don't want this to affect our friendship. I still want to be your friend, and you mine."

"I understand."

"We don't have to tell anyone else if you don't want. They don't need to know; it's none of their business."

"I know."

"Well, goodbye then, Daisuke."

"Goodbye, Natsu."

They parted ways for the last time, and Daisuke went upstairs. He opened the door silently, betraying not even a shred of emotion. But Jun saw him and called out, "Back so soon? I just about beat Chibimon at this videogame."

"Hi, Daisuke!" the Digimon added, barely risking to take his eyes off the TV out of fear of losing the game.

"So, how'd things go with Natsu?" Mrs. Motomiya asked.

He entered the kitchen and started to make dinner. "She broke up with me."

"What?" Chibimon exclaimed, completely forsaking the game.

"Daisuke," his mother murmured, "that's terrible."

"My god, that's awful!" Jun declared.

"Not really," he replied as he added ingredients into a pot of water for soup. "Actually, I feel free."

And with that, he added a dash of pepper to his soup as his family stared at him in confusion.

**Finally, I got rid of that damned Natsu! She was edging so close to Mary-Suedom it's not funny. And the chapter title is from the song "In the Land of Twilight, Under the Moon" from _.hack/SIGN._**

**The Dark Seed children's Digimon were supposed to be alterations of those of some of the core Chosen (you'll notice it more with the Adult levels for Piyomon and Plotmon). The brief moment between Ken and Noriko where she noticed his distraction was taken from _Serial Experiments Lain_, right down to the playing with food (pocky for Ken, miso soup for Lain). And in case you're wondering about Yamato's seemingly dramatic transition from being depressed and moody to joking around with Taichi and Jun, remember that the rest of the story is about one month after Osamu's meeting with Qinglongmon following the events of the previous chapter. Jun and Taichi had plenty of time to get him out of his rut, and it's not like Sora would let her ex-boyfriend get all depressed like that without having to answer to her.**

**And just for reference, here are the pathetic names the Resistance have picked up:**

**Yuriko Fujihu: "hu" in Fujihu means "wind." "Fuji" is "wisteria." Yuriko comes from Yurika Doujima, a character in _Witch Hunter Robin _who shares the same dub actress as Izumi, Michelle Ruff.**

**Shun Raibashi: "rai" means thunder.**

**Yuki Nagami: a double pun here. "Yuki" means "snow," and the name Yuuki Nagami was the name originally given to Tomoki and circled around the 'net before the season premiered.**

**Ryuichi** **Sanada: from Ryo Sanada, Warrior of Wildfire in _Ronin_ _Warriors/Samurai Troopers._ That's an _old_ anime reference for you.**

**Ronin** **Nagami: same reference, only meant as a coincidence. It's not likely that Yutaka would have known that the dub title of _Samurai Troopers_ was _Ronin__Warriors_.**

**Masaki Nishigawa: Kouji's alias in "With Broken Wings." I'd always intended for it to be Kage's pseudonym originally, with him giving it to Kouji as the only name he could think of under the circumstances of chapter four. I just never got around to it.**

**Chapter Nine: "Madeleines"**

**Once upon a time, we were all together. Now we have drifted so far apart. But somehow, we seem so much closer despite it all as the date on the calendar invokes the memory of times before. On the day of memories, we recall the same past despite our different futures.**


	9. Madeleines

_"But we stood together  
__And we made each other strong  
__We tried to comfort ourselves when the nights were long  
__And we held back the tears  
__When they needed to flow  
__But where we once stood lie only footprints in the snow."  
__Vertical Horizon—"Footprints in the Snow"_

_Recommended Music:  
Scene 5, part two: "Anata ga Ita Monogatari," See-Saw_

Black Wings  
Chapter Nine: "Madeleines"

It was August 1, 2003. Four years had passed since that fateful day when seven children had been called upon to accept their destinies and save the world. It was a day of remembrance for them, a time to recall the adventures they'd shared and the lives that had been lost along the way.

_I wonder what the others are doing right now,_ Sora thought as she stared out of her window at the beautiful blue sky. One could not ask for a nicer day than this. The skies were a pure, crystal clear blue, with wispy white clouds painted on the horizon. Birds flew upon the easy breeze while the summer sun bathed everything in light. And yet, Sora was not entirely happy. This was the first time she hadn't celebrated the memorial day with the other Chosen, and the reason why still hurt. Nearby, her teddy bear watched in silent devotion, as if a guardian against what plagued her heart.

"Sora," her father addressed, calling her attention away from the view. He walked up and gazed at the sky. "Beautiful day, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is," she agreed.

"How about we go out there and enjoy it?" he suggested.

The area near campus where he lived had lovely trees scattered throughout. Father and daughter sat underneath these trees and shared a simple late lunch of sandwiches and cookies. Sora looked at the box of sweets for a minute, trying to choose which one to take.

"May I make a suggestion?" the professor asked.

"Sure."

He held up a long one, scalloped like a shell. "On a day of memories like this one, you should try this."

She accepted it and looked at it closely, asking, "What is it?"

* * *

"Madeleines," Michel Takaishi commented. His elder grandson, Yamato, put down his coffee and looked at him. 

"What?"

"Madeleines. They're a type of cookie designed to look like a shell. A madeleine is also a person who invokes a memory. Appropriate, no?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

"You are quite the early waker, Yamato. It's only seven-thirty."

"I know. I'm used to it from band practice. Plus I'm still on Tokyo time."

"Ah."

It was Yamato and Takeru's first full day in France. Their plane had arrived in the evening, so all the brothers had managed to do was get dinner with their grandfather before sleeping off the jet lag. Takeru had managed to adjust to the new time zone rather easily; Yamato hadn't, despite the lack of sleep he'd had in preparation for earlier hours.

"Takeru should be down in an hour or so," Yamato guessed. "So what was all this talk about madeleines?"

"A young lady will be visiting us today for tea. I was thinking to buy some from the bakery."

"Sounds good," Yamato commented, but his voice came off flat. Monsieur Takaishi laughed.

"You don't have to worry, my grandson," he assured. "I won't try to play matchmaker. Besides, your brother and friend, Taichi, seem to have already taken an interest in her."

Yamato looked puzzled. "You mean Catherine?"

"She comes everyday to help ease the loneliness of an old widower," he explained. "In many ways, she reminds me of Natsuko…"

Yamato grinned. "If that's so, does that mean Takeru has an Oedipal complex?"

"Don't let him hear you say that," M. Takaishi warned. "After all, you don't want to scare him away from love, do you?"

"No," Yamato replied. "But I do enjoy picking on him for it. Big brother's privileges. Should I let him know she's coming?"

"Not yet. For now, let him sleep."

* * *

It was a quarter to two in New York City, and Mimi Tachikawa was awake. On this day, four years ago, she'd stopped being a little girl and started becoming a young woman. Her sheltered life had ended, no matter how her parents kept trying to shield her from the ugliness of the world. Yet she always found the beauty of it somehow in her quest to protect her family and friends. It was always that way, it seemed, and all because of a little green Digimon with a pink flower sprouting out of her head. 

The fourteen-year-old sat up and faced a floral wreath above her head. In the center of the pink-flowered ring was a picture of Lilymon. Mimi kissed her fingers and placed them on the picture.

"Happy anniversary, Palmon."

* * *

Jyou sat on the edge of a lakeside, watching Gomamon swim laps across the water. Occasionally, the young man would skip rocks across the lake's surface, but for now, he was content watching his partner swim while singing random songs he'd heard around Odaiba the last time they'd been there. 

"My advice: work on your singing!" Jyou joked, laughing at Gomamon's scowl.

"At least I'm enjoying myself!"

"Are you implying that I'm not?"

Gomamon feigned an innocent expression. "All I'm saying is that I think you'd be happier if you got in the water." Jyou looked hesitant. "Come on! It's not like there are any Seadramon in here this time." Finally, Jyou stripped down to his underwear and waded in. "See? Now, aren't you happier?" Jyou splashed him. "Hey!"

"Yeah, actually, now I am!"

The duo continued splashing each other, stopping only when Jyou's glasses were so wet that he couldn't see through them anymore. It was odd to think that the last time they'd been on this lake, their lives had been in danger because of a raging Seadramon, and Yamato had to get Gabumon to the Adult level for the first time. Despite attacks and near-drownings, the Digital World's waters held a lot of good memories for Gomamon and Jyou, memories that could never be tainted or forgotten.

When they had at last had their fill of swimming, they returned to the shore to dry off in the sun. When he felt sufficiently dry, Jyou pulled on his pants and shirt, commenting, "Not a bad memorial day, is it?"

Gomamon shrugged as best as he could. "Still a little boring though."

"How could you be bored?"

"There's just no one else around to spend time with."

Jyou fell silent after this. He had to admit that Gomamon was right; it _was_ less fulfilling with the other Chosen off remembering on their own. He absent-mindedly began fiddling with his digivice before observing a signal on it.

"Hey, Gomamon, someone else is here," he alerted, attracting his partner's attention immediately. "Let's go see who." He quickly put his shoes on and lifted Gomamon on his back.

The hike to the signal's origin was tiring, but not as much as it would have been if Jyou hadn't learned how to endure such marathons when he was twelve. The sixteen-year-old doctor-to-be panted slightly as he reached a grassy knoll where three figures sat: one fourteen-year-old human, a bug-like Digimon, and an older human. The two humans were playing _go_ while the Digimon watched.

"Tentomon!" Gomamon called out, making everyone turn. He hopped from Jyou's back and crawled over to Tentomon.

"Good to see you, Gomamon," Tentomon greeted. "How have you been doing lately?"

"I've been okay, just a little bored lately."

"You may be more bored now," Gennai warned. "Koushiro and I can spend hours at a time strategizing at _go._"

"You exaggerate," Koushiro accused, cautiously making a move. "We don't take _that_ long. And hi, Jyou."

"I'll play winner," Jyou volunteered.

"Are you really going to waste your memorial day playing _go_?" Gomamon asked.

"To me, it's not a waste," Jyou replied.

"You're breaking my concentration," Koushiro warned. A smirk cracked across his face. "Don't tell me Gennai hired you to do just that."

"I'd hate for my partner to lose unfairly," Tentomon remarked, charging electrical sparks in his wings.

"Hey, how could we?" Gomamon exclaimed, backing away. "We were swimming until just a little while ago!"  
Koushiro laughed. "We know. After all, Jyou's hair is still wet and knotted. Tentomon's just kidding."

Gomamon breathed a sigh of relief. "Could have fooled me."

"Which he did," Gennai answered. "Besides, Koushiro knows I don't need help to beat him." He placed down a stone. "I win again." Koushiro groaned loudly.

"On second thought, maybe I don't want to play winner," Jyou decided.

"So, Jyou, what did you come here for?" Koushiro asked as he cleared his stones off the board. "You came here too eagerly for someone who wanted to be alone."

"Actually, I was looking for something to do. Shin's gotten away from the hospital, but he still spends most of his free time with Iori. Shuu came up for a visit, but he's been out with Daisuke's sister all day."

"All day?" Koushiro cried. Obviously, he hadn't heard how close Jun and Shuu had become.

"Yeah. And I don't expect to see them tonight either." Even Gennai chuckled at Koushiro's dead-pan face as he read a little deeper into what Jyou was implying.

"You've missed out on a lot helping me fortify the security system," Gennai informed.

"No kidding," he replied. "Jyou, how are they going to get away with it? I thought your dad was strict about this stuff."

"Yeah," Jyou confessed. "But he figures Shuu and Shin are old enough now to handle themselves, and there's little he can do while Shuu's in Kyoto, so he's pretty much given up there. Plus all three of his sons have grown up a lot faster than he expected."

"Ah," Koushiro answered, nodding. "And Jun's excuse?"

"I don't know," he replied. "I don't imagine it's anything different though."

"It shouldn't be," Gennai reasoned. "You kids have really grown up from the kids I met four years ago."

Koushiro laughed. "'Kids' is right. We could be so stupid back then."

"Yeah, I know," Jyou agreed. "Gomamon and I were talking about the Seadramon in the lake."

"That guy was _mad_," Gomamon supported.

"Well, you would be too if someone dropped a burning piece of firewood on _your_ tail," Tentomon defended.

"I'm glad though that Garurumon let him get away," Koushiro reflected. "Back then, it was hard to tell who was an enemy and who was just trying to protect himself."

"We adjusted pretty well though," Jyou reminded him. Then his face darkened as he added, "Better than some." Koushiro nodded grimly, understanding the reference.

"What you have to remember about Iori is that he was raised to think of killing as wrong," Gennai explained. "His father was senselessly murdered, and he's lived his whole life knowing just how mortal he is and how mortal his mother and grandfather are. Regardless of the fact that he's a Chosen Child, he's lived a life that few ten-year-olds have, and none should have to."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Jyou agreed.

"I still wish that there was something we could do for him," Koushiro added.

"There may not be anything we can do until he's out of the hospital," Gennai commented. "But for now, let's leave the subject of what you _can't_ do and celebrate what you _did_. After all, today is the day of memories." He set up the board for chess this time. "Ready to play something easier?"

Koushiro grumbled, "You're good at that one too."

Gennai shrugged, a twinkle of amusement in his eyes. "Not quite as good as I am at _go_."

"All right, I'll play your game," Koushiro decided. "But under one condition."

"Name it."

He pointed a thumb in his friend's direction. "Jyou's on my team."

"Fine by me," Gennai replied as Jyou sat down. "Now I can beat you both at once."

"Just try!" the boys challenged, laughing as they made their first move. Meanwhile, Tentomon and Gomamon settled into a light nap. This was going to take a while.

* * *

The car stopped finally to let out the girl at the Takaishi cottage. The sweet and petite Catherine Ducharme stepped out and smoothed out the wrinkles in her white sundress. Pushing her curly blonde hair out of the way, she removed a basket from the car before bidding her father adieu and promising to call him to pick her up. Upon finishing, she walked up to the door and knocked. No one answered. 

"_Monsieur Takaishi_?" she called. That was odd; he knew she was coming. She knocked again, and a blonde young man answered the door. He looked familiar, but she couldn't place him in her memory.

"_Bonjour,_" she greeted. "_M. Takaishi…_"

"_Ojii-san_?" he asked. Japanese—possibly one of M. Takaishi's relatives, she reasoned. It was too bad her knowledge of Japanese only went that far.

"_Oui,_" she answered. "_Je_ _m'appelle Catherine_."

"_Catherine_?" he replied. He turned and shouted, "_Oi! Takeru! Digivice!"_

"_Digivice_?" she questioned. Pointing to him, she asked in shaky English, "Chosen Child? Brother of Takeru?"

"_Un_," he answered with a nod. "_Ore_ _wa Yamato._"

Her face brightened. "_Ah! Yamato! Bienvenue à Paris!"_

Takeru arrived with Yamato's digivice, activating the universal translator. But upon seeing Catherine, he turned bright red.

"Catherine, hi," he greeted weakly.

She smiled. "Hello, Takeru. I'm glad to see you're well."

He continued staring until Yamato elbowed him, an evil grin on his face. "Er, this is my big brother, Yamato."

"I _knew_ you looked familiar!" she declared. "We haven't met other than the battle with BelialVamdemon."

"Yeah, I haven't been around Gennai's lately. A lot on my mind."

"His girlfriend just moved to a distant city," Takeru translated.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Catherine apologized. "That's awful."

Yamato shrugged. "I'm surviving."

"I'm sorry I had to use French and English," she added. "My English is bad, but my Japanese is worse. Your grandfather is trying to teach me, but I can only seem to manage two languages at once."

"My English isn't all that great either," Yamato confessed. "And no matter what language I'm spoken to in, I keep finding myself responding in Japanese."

"Then perhaps you can overcome that during your time here," she commented. She then turned her attention to Takeru. "And how have you been doing since the last time we met?"

Suddenly remembering what his grandfather taught him, Takeru gently kissed her hand. She smiled. "I've been doing fine."

"I heard of the problems the team in Japan was having," she mentioned. "I hope things are working out for the best."

"Well, Iori's still in the hospital, and we're not sure if anything's going to help him now," Takeru explained. "Hikari and Ken we haven't heard from, and Miyako's been trying to help Iori. Daisuke seems to be recovering."

"Yeah," Yamato agreed, "he wouldn't say exactly what happened when I last saw him, but it had something to do with his girlfriend."

"And what of Taichi?" Catherine questioned. Yamato stifled a laugh at Takeru's suddenly darker expression.

"He's fine," Takeru answered, trying to force the slight jealousy out of his voice. "He and Daisuke's sister have been spending a lot of time helping Yamato adjust."

"Are the two dating?" Catherine asked in interest.

"No, but as far as I know, Taichi's not looking," Yamato replied. "Not yet anyway."

"Any particular reason you wanted to know?" Takeru asked.

"I just like to know how my Japanese friends are doing," she replied. "I owe you and Taichi my life." Takeru blushed again, and Catherine asked, "Is everything all right?"

_Is she purposely avoiding the subject, or does she honestly not know he has a crush on her?_ Yamato wondered.

The sound of a motorcycle approached the driveway. M. Takaishi opened the door, toting a box of sweets. When he saw his grandsons and Catherine, he remarked to her in French, "It seems I was later than I expected to be. I see you have met Yamato and reacquainted yourself with Takeru."

"Yeah," Yamato replied, laughter in his voice. "In fact, we were just reflecting on the past."

M. Takaishi stared for a minute in confusion. Since when could either or his grandsons speak fluent, unaccented French? But then he observed the trio's digivices, their screens blinking a pale green, and he laughed at his foolishness.

"I didn't realize that those things could be translators!" he declared.

"It's a new feature Gennai and his clones added in," Takeru explained. "We can activate it to speak with anyone, but as long as we have at least two Chosen who speak different languages. And it only has a certain range, so if someone outside the house yelled in French, Yamato and I wouldn't understand it."

"Also, the limit is that it activates with a digivice from a Chosen who speaks one language and another digivice from a Chosen who speaks another language," Yamato added. "Catherine didn't know that I was also a Chosen, or else she could have activated it."

"Once you called for the digivice, I realized who you were," she pointed out.

"I know, and that's why I told Takeru to get it." He shrugged. "I don't know the French translation of 'Chosen Children.'"

"Well, now that we've taken care of introductions and the language barrier, let's have some tea," M. Takaishi decided.

A lemon-yellow tablecloth and colorful lace runner were spread out on the table. While M. Takaishi set a pot of water to heat for tea, Catherine set out mini éclairs, crème puffs, and ladyfingers. Takeru quickly volunteered to help her by setting out the madeleines and cutting portions of a medium-sized napoleon, blushing madly and glaring furiously as Yamato snickered. The elder brother, in the midst of his humor, was preparing small sandwiches, cheese wedges, and cucumber pieces.

"Mr. Takaishi," Catherine addressed, "isn't this an awful lot for just the four of us? I only brought the napoleon because I knew you liked it."

"It isn't quite four," he corrected, pouring the rose-scented tea into seven cups. "I'm expecting three visitors." As Catherine stared at him in confusion, he winked at Takeru.

"Oh!" the boy remembered. "That's right! I nearly forgot!" He pulled out his green D-3 and left the room. A couple of flashes soon emitted from the study farther down the hall, and Takeru walked back with Patamon, Gabumon, and Floramon in tow.

"You had this planned the whole time," Catherine accused M. Takaishi. His eyes glittered with the same cheek in his grin.

"My grandsons will only be here for a few weeks," he defended. "Why shouldn't the Digimon enjoy it too?"

"Heh, that's Grandpa for you," Takeru replied.

"Sit down, everyone!" Patamon urged. "Let's eat!"

The seven of them gathered at the table for tea. As much as they liked sweets, Patamon and Gabumon managed to keep on their best behavior—mostly because Floramon's table manners put theirs to shame. Yamato laughed as Gabumon tried to adjust to a fork for the napoleon.

"It's not funny, Yamato," he warned.

"I know," he answered. "We usually just eat whatever dessert we have at Dad's with our hands. Just shows what slobs we are when it's just us bachelors."

"Plus Sora and Piyomon's idea of dessert is fresh-baked cookies or brownies," Gabumon added.

"Yeah," Yamato merely answered, trailing off into his memories. Recognizing the possibility of his brother's depression, Takeru quickly changed the subject.

"What kind of tea is this? Mom likes black tea, but I don't think we've ever had this type."

"That's because it's my own special blend," M. Takaishi explained. "I grow it myself right in my garden."

"Don't believe him," Floramon whispered to both Takeru and Patamon. "It's just regular black tea with vanilla bean flavoring and rose petals."

"I grow the roses, though," M. Takaishi responded. "So I at least grow some of the tea."

"Don't worry," Catherine assured at Takeru's hesitant look. "He carefully tends all his flowers and grows them organically. Not a drop of chemical pesticides is allowed near his plants."

"It's the least I can do in the memory of your grandmother," M. Takaishi explained to his grandsons. "She loved that garden so much, and when she died, I promised her that I'd care for it just as tenderly. Your mother loved the roses too, which reminds me. I'll make up a special package of my rose tea for you to bring home to her. I'll also make one for your special lady, Yamato."

"But Sora lives in Kyoto," he protested.

The glimmer of amusement returned to his grandfather's eyes. "There are, of course, other ways for the two of you to meet." He took a bite of a madeleine just as Yamato nodded in understanding.

The group had started on their second servings of tea when all three digivices suddenly started beeping and flashing.

"An attack? Now?" Yamato asked.

"Someone must have discovered that you two were here," Catherine mused.

"Catherine, Takeru, get in the sidecars of my motorcycle," M. Takaishi instructed. "Yamato—"

"I've got it," he assured, holding up his digivice and looking at Gabumon, who nodded.

"Gabumon evolve! Garurumon!"

"Patamon evolve! Angemon!"

"Floramon evolve! Kiwimon!"

Light burst in front of the Takaishi cottage. Michel, Takeru, and Catherine strapped on goggles and helmets has the motorcycle sped out, followed soon by Yamato and the Digimon. Yamato rode on Garurumon's back, keeping Kiwimon in front of him so she wouldn't be left behind. Angemon flew ahead as a scout.

"Three Adults should be enough to handle it," Yamato shouted, coming up alongside the others. "If not, Takeru and I can evolve to Perfection."

"Don't look now, but something's gaining on us," Takeru warned.

"What is it?" his grandfather questioned.

"It's a Rinkmon," Catherine answered. "They're fast, even on land instead of ice."

M. Takaishi let loose a particularly vile French curse. Yamato and Takeru stared at him in confusion before he explained, "It appears your wonderful little devices don't translate profanity. I love them even more. Yamato, take the Digimon and head to the first threat. I'll try to outrun this thing."

"Won't you need—" he began, Kiwimon already starting to join her partner.

"No," he replied. "You'll need all the help you can get. And I have a few surprises in store for our friend here."

Finally, reluctantly, Yamato answered, "All right," and Garurumon sped toward the center of conflict. His grandfather leaned closer to the bike.

"Hold on tightly, both of you," he warned. "Let's see how well he can keep up."

The French gentleman broke every traffic law in the book in an attempt to lose his pursuer. Darting in and out of traffic, he sped and swerved wildly, testing the mettle of his young passengers. More curses followed from the angry and frightened drivers on the roads, and pedestrians and tourists leapt to safety on the grass.

"It doesn't look like we're losing him," Catherine noted.

"Grandpa, what are we going to do?" Takeru asked. "We can't let this guy hurt any of the civilians. And if this keeps up, at this rate, _we're_ going to hurt them too."

Michel's expression was grim. He called out, "Hang on!" a mere five seconds before driving right off the road and plowing down the grassy paths.

"What are you doing, Mr. Takaishi?" Catherine questioned as dirt and grass flew up behind them. Even more turf was already being torn up by Rinkmon's speed.

"I'm thinking," he replied. "I need to find some way to get him off our tail."

"He's charging up!" Takeru cried. "He's going to attack!"

"Get down!" M. Takaishi ordered. A blast of electricity flew right over their heads, hitting a tree and narrowly missing three pedestrians. Catherine peeked her head up and spied their assailant.

"He's powering up another one!"

"Hold on as tight as you can," Takaishi replied. "I have an idea of how to avoid it.

As the second electrical blast came at them, M. Takaishi leaned all the way to the right and turned. The attack couldn't do likewise, and so flew into the distance. The motorcycle then sped up again, charging right at Rinkmon.

"I thought you said we were going to lose him!" Takeru shouted.

"Trust me!" his grandfather answered.

He found a ramp and drove right onto it, pumping the gas until they had enough speed to sail right over Rinkmon. The Digimon was confounded, giving the humans the precious seconds they needed to get in the lead again.

"That's not going to stop him for long," Catherine commented, watching him injure eight people in his chase. "We'll have to kill him. He's needlessly attacking civilians. I can't imagine how he'd act in the Digital World."

"I know. Takeru, e-mail your brother on that D-terminal of yours and tell him to get the Digimon ready to attack. Then be ready to evolve to Perfection."

"What's the plan this time?" Takeru asked.

"You'll see."

Meanwhile, Yamato wasn't having much luck either. The enemy was a DarkTyrannomon, and it was taking everything the three Adults had to handle the situation. So when he got the e-mail from Takeru, he swore lightly before shouting the change of plans.

"Garurumon, back off!" he ordered. "Same for Angemon and Kiwimon!" Though she didn't understand Japanese, Kiwimon was able to follow by example. "Garurumon, evolve if you are able to. Act as the diversion for DarkTyrannomon. Angemon, Kiwimon, attack. Be ready for Takeru and Catherine. They will evolve you." All of this was said in the most precise English he could manage, which was good enough for them to understand.

"Garurumon evolve! WereGarurumon!"

With a fierce howl, WereGarurumon leapt from building to building, slashing and kicking DarkTyrannomon constantly. This left Kiwiwmon and Angemon free to make a few hit-and-run attacks of their own, striking quickly and painfully before ducking out of the way.

Not much farther away, Michel continued driving like a maniac, jumping onto sidewalks and cutting off cars as he raced to Yamato's location.

"Are you within range of evolution yet?" he checked.

"Not yet," Takeru informed. "A few more meters, I think."

Catherine shrieked as Rinkmon suddenly jumped right in front of her and onto her sidecar. Before it could do anything, she struck at it with a quick jab, knocking it off and sending it rolling on the pavement.

"Nice one," Takeru complimented. Her face was flushed.

"I know self-defense."

"And a good thing too," M. Takaishi added. "Now Miss Catherine has saved us a little time. Let me know when we're in range."

"And…now!" Takeru shouted, a bright light emerging from his D-3. The same light enveloped Angemon as the motorcycle came closer and closer to the battle.

"Angemon evolve! HolyAngemon!"

Turning away from the battle, HolyAngemon scanned the area. Not far in the distance, a motorcycle was speeding toward them, a Rinkmon in dogged pursuit. Making certain that no innocents were in the way, he prepared a Heaven's Gate.

"There they are!" Catherine alerted. "And there's the Gate!"

"Brace yourselves!" M. Takaishi cautioned, quickly hitting the brake and turning.

The motorcycle fell on its side, and Rinkmon had no time to stop for it. The humans felt a tremendous bump as their one-time hunter rapidly became the prey. His momentum betrayed him, and he went flying right into the Heaven's Gate before it closed and deleted.

"Kiwimon, now!" Catherine shouted. Her digivice flashed, and light encircled her partner.

"Kiwimon evolve! Blossomon!"

With added power and decreased distractions, the tide of the battle quickly turned in the Chosen's favor. Blossomon's sharp flowers lashed out as DarkTyrannomon while WereGarurumon and HolyAngemon slashed at him unrelentingly.

"I think this one we can send back home," Yamato judged. "He didn't involve any civilians in his fight. I think he was just a diversion for Rinkmon, just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"All right," Catherine replied. "The guardians of our area can determine what to do from here." She walked up to a terrified couple with a laptop and sweetly asked, "May I borrow that? Just for a second?"

"T-take it!" the man cried. "It's yours!"

"Takeru?" she checked. He held his digivice in front of the screen, opening a digital gate. DarkTyrannomon didn't protest as he was drawn back to the Digital World. As Yamato had said, he seemed to have just been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Catherine then tried to give the computer back to the couple, but they looked at it warily.

"Don't worry," M. Takaishi assured. "The problem's been taken care of, and nothing will be emerging from your computer." They still looked cautious, but they finally took it.

"Takeru," Catherine addressed, "do you think of me as more than a friend?" His face burned bright pink.

"Er, what makes you say that?" She stared at him evenly—not unkindly, but evenly. "Yes."

"And do you think the same of Hikari Yagami?"

This time, his face darkened. "I thought I did. She told me that she didn't think of me the same way, so I thought our friendship would do. Now we don't even have _that_."

Catherine smiled in relief. "I'm sorry about that—really, I am. But I'm glad to here that your heart isn't torn between two women. I was afraid you were a Casanova."

"What?"

"I just wanted to be sure that I wasn't going to be the latest in a long line of crushes. When I fall in love, I want to be the only love like that. I know it sounds selfish, but that's the way I am, and a lot of other girls. She laughed at his confused expression. "Don't worry. You'll find all about it eventually. And I'm glad to have you as a friend. For now, anyway."

"For now?" he repeated, startled. "What do you mean 'for now'?" She smiled again and winked, not telling. Meanwhile, Yamato and his grandfather shared a grin. They were going to have quite a bit of fun with _his_ puberty.

* * *

The sun set, and streetlights replaced its warm glow. In the sticky, hot Tokyo summer night, four figures approached the Fuji TV station. Two were humans, one of whom held a bouquet of roses. The other two were Digimon. 

"Four years," one of the Digimon whispered. "And I miss him all the same as when he died."

"I know, Tailmon," agreed one of the humans, the one with the flowers. "I do too."

"We all do," corrected her older brother. "He saved your life, Hikari; and for that, I'm forever grateful."

"Wizarmon sacrificed himself because he believed in our mission," the other Digimon commented. "It's sad but true that we couldn't go on without these sacrifices."

"Even though it felt like we couldn't go on _with_ them either, right, Agumon?" the brother added.

"Right as usual, Taichi," replied a new voice. The quartet turned to see a red-haired boy and his Tentomon.

"Koushiro?" Taichi recognized.

"I may not have had the chance to know him the way you did, but I mourn him all the same," he replied.

"The same goes for me," Tentomon affirmed.

"And us!" added Gomamon's familiar voice. He and Jyou came up to them.

"Those were dark days back then," Jyou recollected, "but they helped us pull through. _All _of them did, and it's up to us to remember them for it."

"I won't forget," Hikari asserted, placing down the roses. "Ever."

**The recurring theme of the madeleine cookies came from Layer 13 of _Serial Experiments Lain_, with a talk between Lain and her father. The _go_** **scene between Gennai and Koushiro (namely the line "I win again") was heavily inspired by a _Justice League Unlimited _episode called "Wake the Dead," which featured chess games between Aquaman and Hawkgirl and Aquaman and Amazo. But Aquaman's "I win again" had been sarcastic, as Hawkgirl didn't have her heart in the game. And Catherine's comments about wanting to be the only love was from Meilin in the second _Cardcaptor_ _Sakura _movie.**

**Now, for the translation issues: In dialogue, Catherine calls Monsieur Takaishi "Mr. Takaishi." This is because of the translation program. Where she hears it as "Monsieur Takaishi," Takeru and Yamato would hear it as "Takaishi-san," and I write it as "Mr." since this fic is in English. Major thanks to Jonathan Lee, T2K, and Josie at DiFWy message board for helping me edit the French/Japanese dialogue. And while the extent of Floramon's evolution only went to Adult in the anime (which was only two appearances, mind you), by now she has managed Perfection, in case anyone was confused.**

**Chapter Ten: "Searching For Paradise"**

**There's something you're looking for, but do you know what it is? Once again you have questions that you cannot seem to answer. Are there answers? Can we find them in this world, or only in our dreams? Or do they lie in those parts of ourselves we're too afraid to search?**


	10. Searching for Paradise

_"Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. That is alchemy's first law of equivalent exchange: To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. In those days, we really believed that to be the world's one and only truth."  
Al Elric, Full Metal Alchemist_

_Recommended Music:  
Scene 1: "Imaginary," Evanescence  
Scene 5: "Jumping Fish," See-Saw_

Black Wings  
Chapter Ten: "Searching For Paradise"

Summers in Tokyo could be summed up in one word: Hell. One would expect it to be cooler than, say, an Okinawan summer, because the island of Honshu was farther north; but as any coastal city dweller can affirm, humidity breaks all rules and assumptions. During the summer, it was not uncommon for humidity to reach one-hundred percent, leaving Tokyo denizens lying miserably in the sticky heat, clinging to air conditioners and fans or vying for a breeze.

And then rain. It fell from the sky in a massive cloudburst, temporarily easing the heat before the added humidity could cause any more suffering. But that was in the future; for now, it was cooler.

Iori lay in bed, the covers pushed off completely. The hospital's air conditioning was on full-blast, and Upamon was enjoying the cold linoleum floor. The boy was not a late sleeper by habit or design, but the sound of the raindrops against the window was soothing therapy for his troubled mind.

In that fragile world that was his subconscious was a reflection of the Digital World, only brighter and untainted by evil. A waterfall he didn't recognize poured down behind him into a sparkling river that caught his reflection. He stared at his image momentarily. He barely recognized himself—a small boy with pain in his eyes, grown up far too quickly for his mind and body to keep up.

"Are you ready?" asked a voice. Iori turned and saw another boy. He was about the same age, with black hair badly in need of a cut, as it was getting in his eyes, which were a deep blue. And unlike Iori's green, these eyes knew no pain and sorrow. They had never seen monsters or demons or death. To put it simply, they still maintained their innocence.

"Akemi?" Iori recognized.

"You promised me you'd teach me kendo one day," the boy replied. Suddenly, Iori was aware that they were both clad in kendo _gi_ and armed with bamboo _shinnai_. "So are you ready?"

Iori ran his fingers over the smooth, light wood. It felt good to have one of these again, to have his friend alive again. He turned to Akemi, his eyes just as filled with excitement, and answered, "I'm ready."

They bowed and ran at each other, their _shinnai_ impacting with a loud clack. Akemi laughed as the two tested each other's strength, finally having to pull away. Iori laughed as well, leaping into the air and bringing his bamboo sword down. Akemi blocked it deftly, nearly knocking Iori off his feet when he landed.

"Pretty good for a first-time student," Iori complimented.

"I have a good sensei," Akemi replied.

They repeated their blocks and thrusts until both were sweating and panting. Laying aside their swords, they sat in the cool grass and stared off into the horizon, where birds flew toward the sun.

"It's exactly the way I imagined it," Akemi declared. Iori looked at him. "The Digital World, I mean. This is what I imagined when you described it."

"Well, normally, it's a lot more active," Iori corrected. "And it's not usually this bright. I guess the others have been doing a good job protecting it."

"Of course. Why wouldn't they be?"

"Akemi, I don't know if you know, but they've been fighting. A lot. Something about a boy in another world—that's all I know."

"I know," he answered. His face, normally so cheerful when lucid and calm, was now taking on a more depressed look. "I may run away from the world in my schizophrenic daydreams, but I know what's going on in the world outside. It's part of the reason why I tried so hard to imagine the Digital World. I wanted to see a world like that, like it was in the times of peace—beautiful and unharmed. I wanted to believe that there could be a place like that somewhere, even if it wasn't on Earth." Iori marveled at him. "What?"

"Nothing. You just reminded me of a man I once knew, a man named Oikawa."

"Of course," Akemi replied. "When you get down to it, he and I are a lot alike. We just went about things differently."

Thunder suddenly crashed, waking Iori from his dream. On the floor, Upamon jumped somewhat and then settled back to sleep. Iori envied him. He didn't have all the pain the boy did; he only understood a fraction of it.

He got up and stared at the rain outside his window. Placing his hand against the glass, he sighed. It seemed he'd never be freed from his nightmares, even if they were slowly starting to become dreams.

* * *

In the shadow of Mt. Fuji was a high school with an elementary/middle school nearby. It served the residents of the nearby towns, including the Resistance settlement village. It was lax with certain dress code restrictions such as hair dyeing (after all, it produced some of the best young artists in the Tokyo area, so why not let them express their creativity a little?) and let the students express themselves to some extent. So long as they wore their uniforms and didn't deface them, the administration was happy. 

Masaki Nishigawa was a fairly normal-looking teenager: brown hair, shadowed eyes, tanning skin. He was unusually tall for his age, but that was all he really deviated in. He was good at the core academic studies and decent in athletics, but he wasn't _too _good at anything. A bit of a computer geek, yes, but he did engage in some physical activities like bicycling. All in all, he didn't raise any red flags. He was perfectly normal, other than the fact that he had few friends his age. Perhaps it was because he was younger than most of the other ninth-graders; perhaps it was because he was shy. But it wasn't anything that made him seem suspicious, and that was exactly what he wanted.

It was Japanese History, one of his better subjects, and he was taking notes in atrocious kanji. It was one of the few things he was allowed to handwrite, as his teachers had given up on the migraines they'd gotten trying to read it and requested that he type all of his assignments. In the middle of his notes on the earliest clans, the principal entered the class.

"I have something for Masaki Nishigawa."

"The addressed young man looked up, trying not to look pale. No, it wasn't anything to worry about. He'd carefully covered his tracks and everyone else's. They couldn't have learned who he really was!

The principal placed an envelope in his hands. The return address featured the logo of a violet spider on a crimson background. The company's name was Arachne Communication Systems, Inc., situated in Tamachi. He'd heard of it from time to time: a new but fairly successful business that created hardware and software. He'd even filched some of their chips from stores with bad security so he could upgrade his computer. Unsure of what the company wanted with him, he opened the envelope to pull out a check.

"Holy shit!" he declared rather loudly. The entire class turned to stare at him. Remembering where he was, he flushed and murmured, "Sorry."

"What is it that invoked that expletive?" the teacher asked.

"I've just been given a check for ten million yen," he answered, somewhat breathless.

"A grant?" the principal questioned.

"I think so," he replied. "But I didn't know Arachne took interest in students."

"Then it looks like this is something to celebrate," the teacher commented.

"Trust me, I will," Masaki replied. "Can I be excused for a second? I want to phone my family and tell them."

"Of course, go right ahead," the teacher answered.

He left the classroom and snuck into the computer room, where no one was around to spy on him. He pulled a small cell phone out of his pocket and attached an override chip to its back. This was the first real test of this system, and he hoped it would work. He pressed one on the keypad and waited for an answer on the other end.

"Takuya here." His voice was barely coming through past all the static. Kage grimaced. There was too much digital energy in the D-scanners for it to work. He'd have to scrap it in favor of a more reliable communication system.

"Takuya, Kage."

"What's wrong? And you're coming in terrible."

"Yeah, I know. And about what's wrong--I'm not sure. Arachne Communications just gave me ten million yen."

A whistle came through the static. "Damn."

"Yeah. It's paid to the order of Masaki Nishigawa, but the memo says personal."

"Someone just gave it to you for your own use?"

"Looks like it. Listen, after calls, I'm going to open a bank account and cash it in. If it's a personal check, then I can use it for the Resistance without any problem."

"Be careful though," Takuya warned. "Maybe we should check that company just to be sure this isn't one of Kouichi's traps."

"The CEO is someone named Arc Oikawa. We can investigate him."

"All right then. I'm going know before someone gets suspicious."

"Same. We'll meet after school."

Kage hung up and removed the override from his phone. But rather than destroying it, he examined the delicate microchips. What interest did Arc Oikawa and Arachne Communication Systems have in him—not necessarily in Kage Tenshi, but his alter ego of Masaki Nishigawa?

He sighed and pocketed both the chip and the phone. He was going to find answers, one way or another.

* * *

Shin was not a pessimist by nature. On the contrary, next to Shuu, he was the most optimistic and light-hearted of the Kido family. True, he was a bit more serious now after the Darkness and Vamdemon's second rebirth, but for the most part, Shin was far more optimistic than his brothers could be. 

But optimism is quickly shot down and trampled when it comes to Iori Hida. _Especially _when he's asking for a computer to go to the Digital World while in psychiatric care.

"No, I can't do it," Shin refused. "You're bad enough now after your friend died. I am _not_ letting you get worse because of the Digital World."

"Akemi had been hallucinating," Iori protested in his usual calm manner. "He only _thought_ he saw Demon."

"Still, it scarred you badly. Your psychological state is fragile. If something goes wrong, it can once again undo the progress we've made."

"And staying here is any better? This is a _hospital_—people die in here everyday, even though the doctors and nurses do everything in their power to save them. How is that any different from being a Chosen Child?" Shin kept silent. This wasn't like arguing with any other child or patient. He was arguing with a _Chosen_; there was no way he'd win. "I'm not going off to fight a war. I just want to find some answers I can't find here."

He sighed. "I don't know how long I can cover for you. This would be a lot easier if the Digital World still had a time difference. Don't stay longer than fifteen minutes. They'll want to check on you."

"Thank you," Iori replied. Shin finally took a notebook computer from his father's work area and placed it on the desk. Iori held up his D-3 to the screen and disappeared.

According to Freud, at the age of six, a person's entire core personality is shaped. At six, Iori had lost his father to a gunman and had been in an airplane attacked by a Digimon. His core personality had been completely and utterly torn to shreds and rebuilt into the quiet, haunted young boy who walked across the digital plains. And ironically, at the beginning and end of it all was the Digital World.

He wasn't entirely sure what he was looking for or if he'd even find it. That dream was still fresh in his mind, the words echoing with his every step. Armadimon walked alongside him, looking up in concern, unsure of whether or not he should say anything.

Not far in the distance, two girls were relaxing in the shade of a fruit tree. One was reading a romantic fantasy novel while eating a summer fruit while the other stretched after finishing a magazine. This girl happened to notice the distracted boy walking in their direction, and she called her friend's attention to him:

"Hey, Yuri, isn't that Iori over there?"

The other placed down her book and looked. "Where?"

"To the right. Look! Isn't that him?"

"I think you're right, Sakura." Yuri looked up into the tree. Alraumon, Kunemon, come down!"

"Why, Yuri?" Alraumon asked.

"Iori and Armadimon are here," Sakura explained, grabbing Kunemon. "Come on!"

The girls and their Digimon hurried toward Iori, a massive swarm of butterflies fluttering behind them. Where the butterflies flew, colors brightened and plants bloomed. Slowly, the world started to match the one in Iori's dream, and this didn't escape his notice. He stared at the brightening sky, his face expressionless save for his open mouth.

"Iori!" two female voices cried. Blinking, he looked at the girls.

"Sakura and Yuri, right?" he checked. They nodded.

"Come on!" Yuri urged, pulling him forward.

The Digimon began playing, pouncing the butterflies and dancing in the flowers. Iori walked in between Yuri and Sakura, explaining why he'd come.

"That's terrible," Yuri commented. "But at least it was somewhat comforting to think that your friend's at peace."

"Yeah," he replied with some reluctance. "But now I have the feeling that something's missing, like I have a question that can't be answered."

"And things probably aren't helping in the hospital," Sakura mused, cupping a butterfly in her hands before releasing it.

"Not really," he confessed. "It's been almost a year, and I'm not getting any better. I think the doctors know it too."

"Things might not be much better on the outside," Sakura murmured.

"Sakura!" Yuri scolded.

"Oops!" the other exclaimed, clapping her hands over her mouth. "I'm sorry. I gossip too much; I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Iori assured. "I know all about the fighting and everything and how everyone else is avoiding each other. Miyako comes to visit me a lot."

"Well, that's good," Sakura commented.

"I'm not sure," he admitted. "I know she's trying to be nice, but she's suffocating me. I want to talk about everything, but she tells me not to, as if keeping everything inside will help me any. And then there's the doctors. They _want_ me to open up, but they're not exactly willing to listen. They _hear _it, but they don't _understand _it."

"At least you know what your problem is," Sakura replied. He looked at her in confusion.

"You want to talk about it, but only with someone who's gone through the same things," Yuri explained. "And Miyako's afraid it'll hurt you more to remember everything, so she'd rather you spoke to the doctors. But they don't realize that's the worst thing for you."

"But," Sakura interrupted, "we're here and we've been through a lot of the same things. Yuri may have her head in the clouds a lot with her dreams of fairytales, and I may be an incurable gossipmonger, but we'll be willing to listen. And I'll keep my mouth shut if that's what you want."

A butterfly chose that moment to flit closer to him. He placed out his finger to let it perch. It stayed a moment, as though for comfort, before flying away to join its brethren.

"Thanks," he answered. "I'd like that."

* * *

"Holy shit!" 

"You're kidding me!"

"My god!"

Takuya blinked at the reactions to the monthly box of supplies in the Railroad's mess. Izumi walked by with a package, silently warning him not to speak. A young man came up and threw her a fresh roll of toilet paper.

"Miyagami, think you can slip me some painkillers too?" she checked.

"All right," he promised. At Takuya's questioning glance, he whispered, "That time of the month."

"Ah," he replied.

"Just don't mention anything," Izumi pleaded.

"Don't worry, I won't," he promised. She hesitated a minute, but then finally left in the direction of the latrine. "So, Miyagami, what about everyone else? Why are they so surprised?"

"We just got a shipment of good stuff this time: sweets, a minifridge, rice and a steamer… We're actually going to eat well this time."

Takamoto opened a can of coffee. His status as black sheep was momentarily forgotten as he removed a wad of cash from the grinds.

"It's all euros!" Yutaka realized.

"And probably enough to buy supplies from Europe," Junpei concluded, "stuff we can't get here."

"Or start up an international bank account," Kage inferred, walking in. "Along with the American dollar, the euro is a more international currency than the yen. It's also worth more than both." He looked at Takuya. "Come on. Let's go to Tamachi."

Deciding against gray contact lenses this time, they put on sunglasses to hide their eye colors from any Imperial spies. Kage slipped one of his artificial digivices in his pocket, knowing that he wouldn't be able to get a laser-stun pistol inside. If they got into trouble, it would be up to Takuya to get them out.

"Take a book or something to read," he advised, pulling out a _manga_ volume. "It's probably going to be a long ride."

"Right," Takuya agreed hesitantly. He found a book to his liking and turned back to Kage. "You're a little more nervous than usual. What happened?"

"I tired to set up an account today, so I went to the bank. They told me I already had one. Nothing in it, but still…"

"That's all? It's nothing to worry about."

"And I had a safety deposit box. I check in it and found newspaper clippings about my father's death."

"Oh."

"And there was a note warning Kage Tenshi to remain on guard at all times if he wanted to make it through the war."

Takuya's eyes widened. "Somebody knows who you are?"

"Yeah. The clippings weren't concrete enough, but that note was. The clippings could have been for anyone in the Resistance who was close to my father. The letter, though…"

"Who do you think it was? Who did this?"

"That's what I hope Arc Oikawa can answer for us when we see him."

They managed to get a ride to the station from one of the villagers heading into the city. On the train, Takuya tried to concentrate on reading, but he often looked over at his commander. On the outside, Kage looked fine, flipping the page to get to the next scene. But Takuya knew he wasn't. He knew that this Arachne business was a strain on him. He hoped that whoever Arc Oikawa was, he was on their side. Kage would never be able to handle it if his army was discovered through a lapse in his security.

After the longest time, they finally arrived in Tamachi. With the help of the return address on Kage's envelope, they found the tall glass skyscraper that housed the company. A spider on a web was etched on each of the front doors.

Takuya whistled, impressed, as they walked in. On the ground floor, workers busily labored about, finishing paperwork and furiously typing. A young woman led a child back to the daycare facility, assuring the child that Mommy was happy to see the drawing. The woman and child passed Takuya, and he was amazed to see how clear the little one's eyes were. He turned in surprise to talk to them, but Kage grabbed his arm.

"We can't interfere," he warned. "You never know." But the receptionist he approached at bright green eyes and no sense of suspicion about her.

"Ah, yes," she replied, running a finger down a list of appointments. "Masaki Nishigawa. No Ryuichi Sanada, but Oikawa's been expecting you. Conference room on the nineteenth floor."

"All right," Kage answered, motioning to Takuya to head toward the elevator.

"Excuse me," the woman from the daycare interrupted, bringing forth a young girl. "You're going to see Oikawa, right?"

"Uh, yeah," Takuya replied.

"Please, take this girl with you. She's Oikawa's daughter, and she's driving me absolutely crazy."

Takuya looked at Kage, who shrugged. "Sure."

The woman was extremely relieved. "Thank you. Go with these nice boys, Toshiko."

As they waited in the elevator, Takuya whispered, "What do you think her story is?"

"Spoiled daughter of the CEO," Kage whispered back. "When she acts up, they send her to her father, who tells her not to do it anymore but lets her get away scot free. It happens all the time. And if she's bad now, imagine her as an adult."

"I'm still here, you know," Toshiko informed. "It's rude to talk about people behind their backs. Everyone keeps doing that since Arc adopted me. And since the base, the only other nice one was that boy."

One word in her message caught their attention, and they traded shocked expressions. "Base?" Takuya repeated.

"As in the Kaiser's base?" Kage checked.

Toshiko nodded. "The boy helped me escape and got me to Arc. I don't know what happened to him, but I guess he couldn't get out. But I don't think he's dead. He was a very important prisoner to the Kaiser; he wouldn't just kill him."

Kage merely nodded, missing the last line. Its implications, however, made Takuya more and more suspicious. Where Kage assumed "the boy" was a kid on Toshiko's work shift, Takuya was thinking of the one person he knew that was so important that Kouichi wouldn't kill him for helping someone escape.

The elevator halted at the nineteenth floor. The boys closely followed Toshiko to the left, where the doors of the conference room loomed over her. She sighed and opened them, where a white-haired woman in a scarlet business suit sat at the table. She pursed her lips and momentarily removed her purple-tinted glasses. She rubbed just above her eyes to fight off a suddenly growing migraine.

"Toshiko," she addressed calmly, "what did you do?"

"It wasn't my fault, Arc! I swear! Miss Tanaka was taking Kenji to his mom, and Ayaka was picking on me and pulling my hair, so I hit her."

The woman, Arc, sighed. "Toshiko, we'll talk about this later." Turning to her visitors, she addressed, "Thank you for coming. I am Arc Oikawa, also known as Archnemon."

Kage blinked. "A Digimon? Able to take human form?"

"Yes," she replied. "But I'm not a pure Digimon, rather, a hybrid. The man who created me, Yukio Oikawa, used some of his DNA as a base. You probably don't know his name. He was from the other word, where the Kaiser and I are from."  
Kage tensed, as did Takuya, who fingered his digivice. "How do we know we can trust you?" the younger boy demanded.

She shook her head. "Just like that Daisuke boy. Yes, I was an enemy of the Chosen Children, but I'm an even bigger enemy to the Kaiser. I had tried to control him, and he still resents me for it. That's why I was selected to help you."

The boys' faces went blank with confusion. "Who selected you?" Kage checked.

"Another enemy of the Kaiser's," she replied, "a Plotmon that had recently evolved to Tailmon."

"Was she the same Plotmon who used to be Ophanimon?" Takuya questioned.

"I believe so. She knew a great deal about you Chosen Children and asked me to try and help you in exchange for helping me escape. From there, I took control of a rising new computer company until we'd gained enough money and popularity to bring us here."

"And all in a matter of months," Kage marveled. But Takuya wasn't as impressed.

"Tell me, did you and your daughter have any contact with a prisoner named Kouji Minamoto?"

"Yes," she replied solemnly. "Tailmon asked that I do as much in my power to help him, should he escape. Apparently now, there's no chance of that." Reminded of the state of things, Takuya nodded and adopted a somber expression.

"One last thing before we go," Kage requested. "First, have you been the mysterious benefactor that's been getting us better supplies and that bank account and deposit box?"

"Yes," she answered. "The supplies I have been providing for all Resistance teams. Warriors fight better when they're better fed."

"And second, how did you figure out who we really are?"

"I knew that those closest to the First Three would be the ones to concentrate on," Arc explained. "Through maintaining good relationships with Resistance teams, I found where these people were. When I found that the Chosen Children were on the same team as Dr. Tenshi's genius son, I decided to try and find where you were hidden. If it's any consolation to you, Kage Tenshi, it took a team of elite hackers four months to make a dent in your security. You're one of the most talented programmers I've seen."

A shadow seemed to have lifted from Kage's face. "Thank you."

"If there's anything you need, contact me. You know where to look." Kage nodded and walked out the door, but Takuya remained. "Yes?"

"He's got too much pride to ask, but there is something we could use," he confessed. "We're trying to build a university at Mt. Fuji, but we don't have enough money for construction. We have some professors, but no building and not enough books and—"

"Done," Arc answered. "I will see to it that you have whatever you need to make this dream of yours a reality. Besides, an army of well-educated thinkers and fighters may be exactly what we need to make the Kaiser sweat." She smiled at this, making Takuya grin, and he thanked her and left.

"Arc," Toshiko addressed, "do you think they'll win?"

"It's hard to tell, but they're strong. God knows Ken's group was too. They should at least stand a fighting chance. Now, I want you to sit in the corner of my office until we go home. We'll discuss your punishment there." Toshiko moaned. Part of the problem of having a formerly evil Digimon as a mother was that she couldn't get away with anything.

Takuya looked a little confused as he and Kage exited the building and headed for the subway.

"Something wrong?" Kage asked.

"Maybe."

"What is it? Everything seemed to make sense. And even if we can't trust Arc, it's better than nothing."

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend," Takuya responded, quoting the oldest of adages. "But what I don't get is how could Plotmon evolve? She's only been at the Child level for—what? A year? It takes a long time to evolve past that."

"That's what I was thinking," Kage agreed. "But when you get down to it, the Kaiser's base is probably filled with so much digivice energy that I wouldn't be surprised if a lot more Digimon are evolving prematurely."

"But how?" Takuya asked. "The digivices were meant to evolve _us_."

"Not exactly."

"Huh?"

"Takuya, have you ever read _Full Metal Alchemist_?"

"A bit of it," he admitted. "I only got through three volumes. Why?"

"I had the same before the war," Kage explained, "and I've been picking up more to read to take away some of the stress of battle. You remember the taboo on human alchemy?"

"Of course. That was how the whole story started, right? Ed and Al tried to resurrect their mother, and Ed lost his arm and leg while Al lost his whole body. What's that got to do with the digivices?"

"Everything, actually." Now Takuya looked interested. He focused directly on Kage as he explained, "The law of alchemy is that something can't be created for nothing. You must be willing to sacrifice an equal value, and that's why human alchemy is forbidden. It's too big a sacrifice to make."

"Yeah, and?"

"Isn't it just the same with the Spirits?" Takuya stared at him. "Before you say anything, listen to my version of the story. The original Legendary Warriors had to make a sacrifice to seal Lucemon, right? But when they did so, something went wrong, and they died in the process. All that was left was their Spirits. But when you reached your most desperate hour, they gained a level of sentience and appeared to you in ghostly forms. They had a bit of themselves still there, but they were also becoming a bit of you too."

"And how exactly does that fit in with the evolving Digimon?"

"When you Spirit Evolve, aren't you technically evolving your Digimon? But your Digimon don't have bodies of their own, so they live inside of you and _your_ body evolves. You become the medium for their evolution, and the digivice helps regulate it. I guess it's sort of like possession, or maybe another form of human alchemy. You place the soul inside another person who already has a soul and manage to fuse them together as much as you can. But it has to be a mutual agreement, otherwise it doesn't work."

"Yeah," Takuya remembered. "I went completely crazy when I used the B-Spirit of Fire. I hadn't really _wanted_ it; I just wanted to save the last person it had possessed. Kouji hadn't gone nearly as crazy when he used his. He actually _wanted_ to find it. And after I saw what happened to him, I didn't think I really wanted mine."

"Now, in that case, the Spirit of Fire had been with someone else—someone who wasn't you. I'd have to ask Osamu, but I think there might have been cases in Gennai's files that mentioned evolution of other Digimon by the Chosen Children. The evolution devices can be used on anyone, basically. And considering just how much power the Kaiser has now…"

"Kouichi's able to evolve anyone!" Takuya realized in dread. But then his horrified expression softened into one of confusion. "But then, why haven't we faced an army of Ultimates?"

"It's probably pretty subtle," Kage mused. "Either that, or he doesn't want to risk losing control of someone." Upon seeing the still-confused look Takuya gave him, he added, "Let's say he decided to evolve Renamon into her Ultimate. He's got to exert a certain amount of control over her in her Child state, but if she suddenly becomes stronger, that's a lot more power he's got to feed. And if he doesn't use enough, she can break free and join our side."

Takuya laughed bitterly. "Never thought I'd say I wanted him to try sending us the strongest he has."

"Exactly. The Kaiser's a genius, remember? So he keeps an eye on how much power he has to use on certain levels of evolution. We know he had at least two Ultimates on his side—a Valkyrimon and a Rosemon. Most are Children and Adults. Both of those Ultimates have been with him since the beginning. One of them has already turned and tried a complete genocide on our caravans in the Digital World—thanks to Akagami and in part to Takamoto. So the Kaiser has to keep a closer eye on that one last Ultimate he has, and most likely, it's a mercenary anyway. I think Osamu mentioned that the traitor was a merc too."

"Okay, so Kouichi's power is bleeding out of his digivice," Takuya concluded, "and it's causing some Digimon to reach higher levels at a faster rate than normal. What about Kouji? He's still got a lot of power. Do you think there might be some leaking out of him?"

"Maybe," Kage reasoned. "I'm not sure. From what Osamu's told me, the Spirits of Light are spending a lot trying to keep Kouji alive. They might not have enough power left to do much of anything else, which would explain why he'd never done anything to try and escape and save his parents before they were killed."

"Yeah, he wasn't exactly the kind of person who would give into threats, even when his family was involved. _Especially _when his family was involved. Back when Kouichi was still with us, if he was in danger, Kouji would try every stupid thing in the book to try and save him. We joked that when that happened, he was even more reckless than me."

"So you get it now?"

"Yeah. It's making a lot of sense now."

"So we're going to have to get stronger. We never know when another abnormal evolution will happen."

"Amazing what you can learn from _manga_, isn't it? And isn't it where you based some of your style?"

"Yeah, a little. Computer-wise, I got ideas from anime like _Lain_, and you already know where I got the Railroad from. I don't exactly want to talk about the fashion side."

"It's okay. It can't be anything _too_ bad. You got your old haircut from Yahiko in _Rurouni Kenshin_, right?"

"Well, not just him…"

"Who else?"

He was hesitant. "Dark from _D.N. Angel_."

Takuya stared at him in a mixture of horror and disgust. "You read _shoujo manga_?"

"It was my sister's, I swear!"

"Oh, God, Kage!"

* * *

Fifteen minutes after school with two of the darkest people he knew. That was it. A little talk with Yuri and Sakura seemed to have helped Iori a lot. Shin was amazed. He kept in mind to ask Iori's doctors to allow the Dark Seed Chosen to visit more often. He'd of course refrain from mentioning how he came up with the idea, but he'd plant it in everyone's mind that giving Iori some Chosen companions who had gone through a lot worse might help him form a support system. It wouldn't be nearly enough, but at least it was a start. 

Iori, meanwhile, sat at his desk, reading a borrowed book on samurai and listening to the CD Miyako had given him. The band was See-Saw, a female duo he probably wouldn't have been actively listening to before hand; but now, he was enjoying the calmer songs with the soothing vocals of the women. Normally, he longed for home, for an end to his torment, for a peaceful mind, but this time was different. This time, he'd been to the Digital World, ad it helped ease the longing. Yet he felt more from his brief visit. He'd faced down a nightmare and spoken with people who had had to live through them. And he had a promise from them that they'd visit again. It was another team, but he was finally part of the Chosen Children again.

And something told him, he thought as he closed his book, that this was going to be one night where he didn't have to suffer with nightmares.

**If anyone remembers from chapter five, Archnemon had a cameo in the scene between Kouji and Reiyama—she was watching the events unfolding and then walked away. Facts about Tokyo summers come from Del Rey's handy guide at the back of _XXXholic_, volume two. And before anyone goes "Holy shit!" at the sight of the ten million yen, it's only equivalent to about a hundred thousand dollars U.S. Still, that's a huge amount for a fourteen-year-old kid to wind up with for no reason. The comments about personality are correct according to Freudian teachings. Yuri and Sakura are the names Lord Archive gave to two of the Dark Seed children in "War Diaries" and "Red Digivice Diaries," and their names and personalities are used with permission. The _Full Metal Alchemist_ conversation between Kage and Takuya came from a conversation between Shaun Garin and me about how the _Frontier _Digital World seemed to have human alchemy, but without so much of the equivalent exchange law. The _D.N. Angel_… That was just for humor's sake.**

**Chapter Eleven: "True Light"**

**Your loyalties are torn. Who is it you must protect: the individual or the world? Are you even sure that you can save the world? Despite everything, you are still a young boy. Are you sure you can make the decisions you must? Stop hiding yourself and regretting what must be done. Remember that your fate does not bind you, even though your freedom is limited.**


	11. True Light

_"Illuminated by the cold sun  
__I was given a tamed freedom  
__In the miraculous night reflected in the mirror  
__My soul began to remove its mask."  
__"Byakuya—True Light," D.N. Angel  
__(ADV subtitle translation)_

_Recommended Music:  
Scene 3, part three through Scene 4, part one: "Byakuya—True Light," D.N. Angel_

Black Wings  
Chapter Eleven: "True Light"

In a secluded glen in the midst of the eastern Digital World's frozen wasteland, a Light Tree stood strong against the cold. It had adapted by placing its roots deeper into the earth, where it was warmer, and developing pine-like needles. Its flowers were small, like fruit blossoms, and bloomed only every so often. A single one of these flowers fell to the feet of Osamu Ichijouji. He picked it up and smelled it before addressing the Tree like an old friend, "I don't know how you can manage this location. It's so barren, so ravaged. But then, it's an area that needs the most protection."

He sighed and sat against the Tree, twirling the flower between his thumb and forefinger. "Things aren't going well. I'd call in the Chosen to help if not for the situation here. I can't let myself be known, and Qinglongmon can't let them get involved when they have to sort out so much with themselves and the dimensional key. And it feels like I've failed. I'm not exactly sure where I'm supposed to go from here. I have one option, but I don't want to do it unless I've exhausted everything else."

He closed his eyes and let go in a type of meditation. It was comforting; he knew only what the Tree knew—where others of its kind were, what they saw and knew, and what they were trying to protect. The more he let go, the less human he looked, until all any passerby would see was a spiritual being surrounded by flowering wood. He felt the Trees Renamon had planted in the other world. They were seedlings, yet growing strong. Most were already in bloom.

Suddenly, an explosion ripped through the connection as a massive light burst occurred in front of one of the young Trees. A burst of darkness followed in defense, and Osamu was violently jarred out of meditation.

"No," he whispered, tearing free of the vines and tendrils. Leaves and petals still clung to him, but he paid them no mind as he crossed the spectral dimensional divide. Kouichi was in Cell 24, one hand against the wall, the other against his heart and still clutching his whip. He was breathing heavily and visibly shaken. Kouji was lying on the floor, convulsing from electrical shock. Renamon was nearby.

"Stand back," Osamu warned. "I can handle this." He started pouring healing energy into Kouji, but the boy's immune system didn't seem to want to fix anything. He began shaking even more, getting worse, when Renamon suddenly cupped a paw over his face. "What are you doing?"

"Helping," she answered simply. "Hold off for now. The extra energy isn't helping." Reluctantly, he complied. There was a floral scent in the air, mixing with the scent of a small Light Tree _bonsai_ in the corner. Pretty soon, Kouji's breathing calmed and—Osamu noted—so did Kouichi's. Renamon pulled her paw away, revealing a handful of petals.

"Wisteria and cherry blossom," she explained. "We use them to clean the air and ease shock and seizures. I added a bit of lavender and some of your flowers to help calm him further."

"Aromatherapy," he recognized. "My mother used to do the same. Different flower mixtures—usually rose and jasmine—but for the same reason when Ken and I used to get sick." He looked around at the chaos. "What happened here?"

"Spontaneous evolution," Kouichi explained, having regained himself. In fact, he looked more like himself than like the Kaiser for some reason. "His B-Spirit activated suddenly and started clawing up the door." He pointed, where bloody scratches could be seen. The right-side scratches, however, were arched, showing how shoulder movements had to compensate for paralysis below the elbow. Osamu had to turn away.

_It must have possessed him,_ he realized.

"I came in to try and stop him," Renamon continued, "but as soon as my Kaiser entered, Garmmon lunged for him. My Kaiser was forced to use his whip."

Reiyama then entered and injected the tranquilizer into Kouji's arm. Slowly, everyone else left, and Osamu was alone in the cell with Kouji. That was what he needed. A private conference was necessary _now._ Kouji's digivice glowed momentarily, and the ghostly forms of the two Spirits of Light materialized behind Osamu.

"You're getting out of control," he commented. "He can't take it anymore. You can see how it's hurting him." He took the opportunity to hold up Kouji's hand, where nails were peeling away from bloodied fingertips.

"We can't leave," the Human Spirit protested. "There's very little keeping him alive. If we abandon him, he _will_ die." His voice lowered somewhat. "We know about the sacrifice. We're just not willing to make it."

"I know," Osamu replied, "and I understand. But how did this happen?"

"Digivice energy is very strong here," the Beast Spirit answered. "The walls are saturated with it. I lost my temper suddenly and tried to break free. I thought if I could get him out of here, his condition might improve. I won't try it again."

"And I'll be sure that he keeps his anger under control," the Human Spirit promised.

"And I'll keep doing what I can to help," Osamu added. "One question though: What about the Spirits of Darkness? Have you felt their presence at all? There's so much darkness around that I can't tell what to look for."

Osamu was used to taller beings towering over him. Qinglongmon's long, serpentine body always hovered in the sky, and Kage's freak genetics made him as tall as a grown man like Gennai. But he had to admit that it was discomforting to have the nearly seven-foot Human Spirit of Light looking down at him as if he was a very small child.

"We haven't felt anything," the Spirit confessed. "There have been flashes, but only when Kouichi was himself, as he was now."

"The Kaiser seems to be blocking them," the Beast Spirit affirmed. "That's the only way it could be possible."

"I'll have to agree," Osamu sighed. "This is just going to make things harder. I hoped that the Spirits of Darkness could help, but…" He got up and started to walk away when he noticed several small chrysanthemum-like flowers on the Light Tree _bonsai_, their long and thin petals reaching toward the sky. Maybe there was hope. Or maybe whatever hope there was was false.

* * *

It was early morning in the Ichijouji apartment, but it didn't matter to Ken. He was at his desk, reading through the notes he'd taken on the Dark Seed Chosen and whatever information he'd gotten from Jenrya Lee in Ryo's world the last time they'd spoken through Gennai's inter-dimensional link-up. Minomon was asleep right next to him. Ken yawned and rubbed his eyes. Not only was he tired, but reading was making his eyes and head hurt. His parents had noticed him squinting at the newspaper and made an appointment at an optometrist to get his eyes checked. But it wasn't his eyes that were giving him the most trouble right now; it was his brain. 

_Osamu would probably have an answer now,_ he thought, leaning back in his chair. _He could always solve a puzzle faster than anyone else._ As though summoned by his thoughts, a comfortable and familiar feeling entered the room and settled right beside Ken. He was not by any means sensitive to the other-worldly the way Hikari was—had he been, he wouldn't have mistaken the Digital World for a computer program. But he knew this feeling. He wasn't sure, but he always associated it with his brother. And it was never just he who felt it; even now, Minomon's sleeping seemed much more peaceful, and Ken's parents often seemed more relieved when this presence was around.

_Thanks, _niisanKen thought. Once again he returned to young Lee's report. It mentioned that Kouji, that prisoner Hikari was obsessed with, was Kouichi Kimura's twin brother, presumed dead for nearly half a year.

_Too bad those three couldn't just come out and let everyone know he was still alive,_ he reflected. _Maybe they could have orchestrated an escape. But the mission comes first. I'm somewhat surprised Hikari remembered that with the way she's been acting lately. _He instinctively rubbed his cheek, where the girl had given him a pretty impressive bruise. _I wonder if those brothers were close, and if so, how could the Kaiser warp that bond? _A dark thought then settled in his mind, a thought he could not push away. _And if Osamu had lived while I was still the Kaiser, would I have done the same? _He felt sick.

"Ken, is something wrong?" Minomon asked, waking up from sensing his partner's mood shift.

"Nothing, Minomon. It was nothing."

"Are you sure?" His voice was hesitant. He'd known Ken long enough to know when something was troubling him. But still, if Ken didn't think it was important enough to mention…

"I'm sure. Just some random thoughts that suddenly got darker. I've just been working too hard. Come on, let's get some breakfast."

"I'd rather sleep," Minomon admitted.

"Well, then, how about we get something sweet before we go back to sleep?"

"Fine with me!' he decided, making Ken laugh. He latched onto Ken's shoulder, and the two made their way into the kitchen, leaving the unseen spirit of Osamu alone in the room.

"I'm always here when you need me," he promised, "brother."

* * *

Osamu felt emotionally weary when he returned to the Railroad. He walked into the empty mess hall and sat down at one of the wooden tables and benches. He thought he heard a startled voice behind him, but he shrugged it off. Right now, maybe it was better to be alone. 

"Hey!" called Yutaka. Osamu turned and blinked. "I've been looking for you."

"For me?" He was officially utterly confused. Nobody ever wanted to see him—nobody but Kage, and on rare occasion, the Chosen.

"Yeah." The elder Himi brother maintained a friendly expression. Was it a façade? Was he just doing this under Kage's orders?

"What do you want?" He didn't mean for it to sound rude, but when someone other than Kage randomly wanted to talk to him…

"How about we drive into town?" Yutaka suggested. "Pick up some extra food and supplies? We now have a minifridge, so we can afford to keep some meat and fish."

"All right," Osamu agreed cautiously.

The Mt. Fuji team had managed to get hold of a green SUV and got Arc's help to register it under Ronin Nagami. Yutaka and Osamu got in and began driving the hidden paths into town, Yutaka trying to break the silence and discomfort the whole time.

"You want to listen to anything on the radio?" he offered. Osamu shrugged.

"Doesn't matter. If you want to, go ahead." Yutaka watched him from the corner of his eye, but Osamu retained his guarded mask.

_So much for relaxation,_ Yutaka thought, keeping the car in silence.

Several minutes later, Osamu asked, "So…where are Kage and Takuya?"

"Arguing with Junpei over the blueprints for the University." He laughed. "Get a dreamer, a thinker, and a leader together, and they'll build something beautiful—if they don't kill each other first."

"Why did you ask me to come with you?" Osamu questioned. "Why not ask your brother?"

_Getting right to point now,_ Yutaka noticed. "To tell you the truth, I wanted to pay you back."

"Pay me back?"

"For saving me." Osamu glanced at him, but the young man's eyes were on the road. "The penicillin helped, but you improved my chances. I was so bad off that I'm sure I would have died, even despite getting the medicine in time. And after all that, you still helped me recover my immune system."

Osamu, though surprised at the praise, turned his attention back to the approaching scenery and answered, "I just did what I thought was right. You don't have to thank me."

"Yes, I do," Yutaka argued. He was staring straight at the boy now. He stopped the car put it in neutral as he stared directly into Osamu's eyes and informed, "Don't ever sell yourself short. It came down to a choice between saving my life and, from the way Kage's described it, saving Kouji's sanity. Maybe I would have survived without your help, or maybe Kouji wouldn't have changed at all with your help—I don't know. The choice was yours, and yours alone to make. Never think that the choices you make are wrong. Act on your instinct; follow your heart. If you do, you'll never be wrong."

Osamu stared back at him, stunned speechless. Yutaka resumed driving while his words stirred up rather interesting thoughts in the boy.

"Thanks," he finally answered. "You gave me a lot to think about."

Yutaka was calm as he admitted, "Actually, I was hoping to save you from some thoughts. You looked like you had a lot on your mind to begin with."

"I did, actually," he confessed.

"Anything you want to talk about?" Yutaka checked. They were in the village now, and the store they needed to visit was right up ahead. There wouldn't be any time to talk in private, but since this was a Resistance zone, they wouldn't have to worry about the consequences of being overheard.

"Okay," he agreed reluctantly.

It was a long talk they shared as they wandered the aisles of the market. Yutaka refrained from speaking most of the time, so he answered with nods and the occasional "Mm-hmm." Osamu felt relieved to be finally getting all of this out to someone who could actually understand. Gennai and Qinglongmon couldn't, no matter how they tried.

"It's a pretty tough situation you're in right now," Yutaka observed when Osamu finished. "I don't have any advice for you."

"I know," he replied, "and I'm not asking for any. I want to help Ken and everyone else, but I don't think it's right for me to interfere; they're bad enough now as it is. And I can't 'follow my heart,' like you said because right now, it's torn. I think until I'm sure of what to do, I should wait."

"Well, Ronin Nagami, I didn't expect to see you here," a voice called nearby. A man with dark red hair and light blue eyes walked up to them.

Yutaka didn't even bother hiding his annoyance. "I _live_ in this town, remember?"

"Sorry," the man apologized. "Your brother, Yuki, doesn't mention it much."

"What's going on?" Osamu questioned.

"Who's this?" the man asked. Yutaka groaned.

"Hideto Arashi, this is—"

"Iori Hida," Osamu quickly put in, using the first name he could think of. Yutaka raised an eyebrow at this, but Osamu bowed in greeting.

"I work at the elementary school," Arashi commented, "but I've never seen, much less heard of you."

"I'm home-schooled here in the village," he explained. "Ronin tutors me from time to time when my mother's busy."

"Ah, then that explains it. But who's this Ken you mentioned?"

"Aren't you starting to get a bit too nosy?" Yutaka questioned.

"It's all right," Osamu replied, and ear-to-ear fake smile plastered across his face. "Ken's one of the kids I play soccer with. He's having some trouble with the other kids, but I'm not sure if helping him out will make the situation worse."

"Now, if you're done," Yutaka interrupted, glaring at Arashi, "we really need to go before this food spoils."

Arashi looked at the groceries. "Where could you be going with all of this?"

"If you _must_ know," Yutaka drawled, "his mother hurt herself last week and asked me to pick up her groceries since I have a car. Now will you go?"

"All right," Arashi answered, oblivious to his own obnoxiousness. "Wish your mother to get well for me!"

"I will," Osamu replied. "Thank you!"

The two carried their groceries out of the store and to the SUV, Yutaka keeping an eye out for Arashi. When he saw no sign of the nuisance, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"His eyes were clear, but you were still cautious around him," Osamu noticed. "Was he a mercenary?"

"I think so, and an irritating one at that."

"A spy then?"

"No doubt."

"We shouldn't head back to the Railroad then," he judged. "He'll try to follow us."

"I don't have to be a genius to know that," Yutaka agreed, getting in. But once Osamu did the same, he asked, "Iori Hida?"

"First thing I could think of other than Ken," he admitted sheepishly.

They drove out of town and away from the outskirts of the Resistance settlement. Yutaka's eyes were glued to the rearview mirror, despite Osamu's comments that it was pointless.

"He's an experienced spy. He's going to make sure he's not seen."

"Better safe than sorry," Yutaka argued. "I want to be sure that it's just him. Plus, if he screws up, we can at least have an idea of where he is."

Osamu stared at him. "You've been around Kage too long."

But his paranoia paid off. As they drove through the forest, Yutaka noticed a spry young tree bend as someone pushed by it. He stopped the car and readied his laser, cursing himself under his breath for not thinking to bring Gabumon and his digivice.

"You didn't know we would be attacked," Osamu protested. "Never think that the choices you make are the wrong ones, remember?"

A small smile appeared on Yutaka's face. "Yeah. What about you? Think you can handle yourself in a fight?"

"I have limits, but luckily, defense isn't one of them. Don't worry about me."

"All right then," Yutaka commented. "Wait for them to get to the car. We have a better shot at close range than if they attack from the woods." Osamu nodded.

"But what if they fire at long range?"

"They won't; they fight by the book. Kouichi wants as many prisoners to be taken alive as reasonably possible. Plus, if they blow up the truck, the trees could catch fire too and it could spread. They won't risk that."

A fatalistic grin cracked across Osamu's face. "And to think—the guy out there works with grammar school kids."

"Heh, yeah, I know." He checked in the mirror. "All right, they're coming now."

"These guys don't think ahead," Osamu informed. "I've watched them before. The prefer to act first before reporting it or checking records."

"Lucky for us then that our overlord didn't realize that," Yutaka whispered. "He's thought of everything else though. Okay, the first is at your door. Let him open it and keep your hands up. If I fire at you, can you become intangible so it'll hit the Imperial?"  
"Yeah."

"All right then. Here we go."

One of the Imperials ripped open the door on Osamu's side, yelling, "Put your hands up!" He did as told before quickly reverting to his spiritual form. "What the—"

But before the Imperial could get any more out, Yutaka had fired point-blank between his eyes.

"Fire now!" Arashi shouted as Osamu and Yutaka ran into the fray. Each bullet that headed for them either melted from the stage-two laser or harmlessly entered Osamu's false skin.

"What kind of new armor is that?" a bewildered sniper asked.

"Who cares?" his companion replied. "Keep firing!"

It was pointless, however. Though he wasn't a martial arts expert like his brother, Osamu was a strong fighter. While Yutaka found a secure position to shoot from, he was busy disarming Imperials in hand-to-gun combat. He kept his palms open for all strikes, heeding the resistance his Light Seed's roots gave to being clenched into fists. But still, despite his more gentle strikes, his opponents backed away, bleeding.

"He's got wrist knives, damn it!" an Imperial alerted just seconds before falling victim to Yutaka. Osamu snuck a peek at his wrists; sure enough, sharp wooded blades were sticking up.

_That explains the open palm strikes,_ he realized, deciding to try something new. He placed his arms down and concentrated on separating the wood from his roots. A minute later, he had a knife in each hand.

"What are you doing?" Yutaka demanded.

"Trying to make you an opening," he answered. "When you see your chance, shoot Arashi!"

Yutaka bit back a curse before setting his laser on the third stage. Osamu probably knew what he was doing. Besides, he was invulnerable and practically immortal. He would be safer out there.

Invulnerable Osamu was for the most part. Immortal was debatable as he was already dead, but in a sense, he was immortal by being a spirit. Safer than Yutaka in this melee—definitely. Did he know what he was doing?

Not a clue.

Currently, he was fighting his way past Imperial snipers, slashing his way through with only a half-baked plan. He'd realized somewhere between stabbing one woman in the ribs and slashing a man across the chest that Arashi was hiding behind his men. If they were down, he'd be easy to take down.

Each Imperial fell to the ground, wounded but not beyond the help of medicine or the Light Seed's recovery boost. It was somewhat comforting to Osamu that he was unable to kill except in the case of sacrifice; no matter how passionate he was, he wasn't sure he could bring himself beyond defense. Being more of a pacifist suited him anyway—his violent temper had started Ken, and to a degree Kouichi, down the road to becoming Kaiser to begin with.

Finally, Arashi was the only one left. He placed his gun barrel against Osamu's head and dared, "Go on, Nagami. Shoot. Shoot if you want his blood on your hands."

Osamu laughed bitterly. "You have no idea what you've messed with."

"He won't shoot."

"So sure?"

As if on cue, a stage-three laser suddenly hit Arashi in the temple, burning right through the brain. He fell to his right side on a stone, not a single bullet out of his gun. Osamu stood up and surveyed the damage. Though the wound had cauterized, blood was pooling all around from hitting his head in the fall. If he wasn't dead now, he would be soon. And Osamu didn't particularly want to face that soul.

"Are you okay?" he checked, making his way over to Yutaka.

"Yeah," he replied. "A little bloody, but no major wounds." Osamu didn't look like he was listening. A very serious expression was on his face. "What's wrong?"

"You said I should never regret my decisions, right?"

"Yeah."

"I've made it now. I'm going to end this war. Now."

Yutaka's eyes widened at this. "How?" But Osamu's shoulders sagged, as though the weight of the world was on them.

It probably was.

"There's someone I have to kill."

"Who?"

"It's better if I don't tell you. You'll find out soon enough anyway. Kage would probably understand; he knows about sacrifice and equivalent exchange from his _manga_. He and Takuya were talking about it a couple weeks ago."

"Sacrifice?"

"It's a long story, but someday, I think you'll understand. At least, I hope you do." That last part was whispered, as a fleeting wish. But before Yutaka could ask any more, Osamu was gone.

Osamu walked silently and stealthily to Cell 24, taking the time to prepare himself for what he was about to do. Every spirit around him refrained from offering comfort or advice; any outside words could prevent him from taking this much-needed action.

It was the only just thing to do, logic reasoned as he materialized in the cell, wooden dagger in hand. It would save the world and Kouichi's soul, at the same time setting Kouji's free. No longer would he be confined to this half-life of existing without really living. And he would be with his family again.

He took a few steps more, feeling a bit more confident and justified in his actions. It wouldn't be easy for the Warriors to accept Kouichi after this, but maybe he could help—assuming no one resented him for what he was about to do. And he could inform Gennai that the Chosen were no longer needed, but maybe Ken and some of the Dark Seed children could come to help the Warriors accept the past and heal. And who knew? Maybe they could help start the healing process for Sakiko.

Another step brought him close to the Light Tree. He tried not to look at it as he continued on.

_All life comes through death, _he reflected. _The best fertilizer is made of decayed things, and it brings spectacular life to plants. The petroleum, coal, and gas that fuel everything needed in life are the remains of plants and animals that died long ago. There's the belief in reincarnation and even a peaceful afterlife in Heaven for those who have died._

He placed one hand on Kouji's shoulder. The boy was still unconscious from the drug in his system. That made it a bit easier for Osamu, who wasn't sure he would have been able to do t if he saw those hollow blue eyes staring back at him, staring right _through _him.

_We can't gain anything without some kind of sacrifice,_ he reminded himself, further trying to convince himself that this was right. _We have to be willing to give it up—for good or evil…_ And with that thought, he slowly and hesitantly lifted the dagger and…

And felt a strong grip restrain his arm before throwing him halfway across the cell.

Osamu recovered himself as he landed, making it to his feet. Renamon was standing in front of him, looking more threatening than ever.

"I told you that I would protect my Kaiser at all costs," she informed. "Even if it means protecting his brother."

"You know about the sacrifice?" Osamu asked in utter surprise.

"My Kaiser's darker half explained it to me once," she explained. "Reiyama still doesn't comprehend it, but I do. Unlike him, I do what I can to keep both Kouji and my Kaiser alive. Osamu, I respect you as I would a friend. You are as close as a cousin in any tribe. But don't think that means I will let my feelings stand in the way of my duty." Osamu stared. "Now go."

"All right then," he answered, stepping right through the wall. Renamon closed her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief.

"My Kaiser, it's over."

From behind a veil of darkness, Kouichi appeared. "Thank you Renamon. I'm not sure I would have had the heart to stop him."

Her ears twitched. "Pardon my asking, but why is that?"

He smiled sadly. Sometimes she was more naïve than he was. "He is my brother, but I also know my darker side has been getting out of control. There are times I'm part him and part me, and sometimes I wake up from a black-out, wondering what he did."

"I see," she replied cautiously. "You are afraid of losing yourself?"

"That's it exactly," he answered softly. "But at the same time, blood loyalties are strong." His face darkened with disgust. "Just another thing _he's_ managed to warp." Renamon was about to say something in reply, but she collapsed to her knees. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know," she replied in pain. "It's been happening for a while now. Before, I've been able to escape it by leaving the base, but I'm not sure that will work now."

He came closer and literally felt the burst of digital energy coming from her. His long-dormant digivice was reacting to her, flashing and beeping like an alarm. He knew immediately what it was.

"Renamon, you're evolving," he whispered. "All this digivice energy is affecting you too." He brought up his D-scanner and placed it against her. "I'm going to try and speed it up to ease the pain." She nodded, and he closed his eyes, forcing the evolution process to speed up. Bands of DigiCode surrounded Renamon, and when they disappeared, a golden Kyuubimon was in her place.

"You're beautiful," he murmured, and she lowered her head in embarrassment. "I mean it. I haven't seen many Digimon with that kind of elegance."

"It's strange, really," she commented when she could speak. "My race has two identical evolution lines: one light and one dark. With your help, I should have become Youkomon."

"I guess all that time around Kouji left its mark on you," he deduced. "Come on. Let's go." And just as she always had before, Kyuubimon followed him without question.

And in the Underground Railroad, Osamu walked into the mess, where Yutaka was putting their groceries into the minifridge. He picked up the vegetables and placed them in, pretending not to notice Himi's questioning gase.

"Well," Yutaka began.

"Well?"

"Did you do whatever it was you needed to do?"

Osamu paused and looked up, an almost relieved smile on his face. "No. But I realized that saving the world and saving a soul isn't as easy as I thought it would be." Yutaka gave him a puzzled look, but decided not to pursue the matter. For now, he was content with a bit of companionship as he put away the groceries.

**The flowers on the Light Tree _bonsai_ were inspired by the lunar flowers in _Wolf's Rain._ Osamu's whispered promise to Ken was inspired by a scene in _Witch Hunter Robin_, where Amon wonders aloud why his half-brother Nagira can't see that Robin's a potential danger. Although the scenes were completely different, the emotion Crispin Freeman put into that line was what I was going for and what really inspired it. Yutaka's calling Kouichi "our overlord" came from the infamous Evil Overlord List by Peter Anspach. And the equivalent exchange is again from _Full Metal Alchemist._**

**Chapter Twelve: "Unforgiven"**

**You who have sinned now have the chance of redeeming yourself. There are strangers who depend on you, so don't let them down. Two devils meet. A hero reclaims his honor; another reclaims his herodom. Perhaps heaven isn't out of your reach.**


	12. Unforgiven

"_Get too close to the sun, and you burn."  
Ed Elric, Full Metal Alchemist_

Black Wings  
Chapter Twelve: "Unforgiven"

Kage half-staggered into the mess hall while Yutaka and Osamu stocked the fridge with meat and vegetables. "Think you can get me a can of soda while you're there?"

Osamu walked over to him with a can of Coca-Cola. "Stressed?"

"Thanks," he replied, opening the can and taking a long drink. "Himi, remember what you said about a genius, an artist, and a leader in the same room?"

Yutaka just stifled his laughter to ask, "That bad?"

Kage took another sip of his well-deserved beverage. "Let's just say it's been a learning experience." Even Osamu smirked at that. "Anyway, Takuya and Junpei are _still _arguing about the design. I knew Junpei was a visionary when it came to architecture, but I didn't think it would be this bad. His plans, although beautiful, are too complicated and way out of our budget. I hope to see this building up by next fall if we have the manpower. Takuya's trying to negotiate, but with him, it tends to be more yelling than anything else."

"Sounds about as eventful as our adventure," Yutaka judged. Kage gave him a questioning look. "We ran into someone who works at the elementary school, Hideto Arashi."

"I remember you mentioning he seemed suspicious."

"More than suspicious," Osamu corrected. "Mercenary."

Kage shook his head. "Damn. No place is safe."

"I had a security team clean up the place and take care of the wounded," Yutaka informed. "They'll handle any more mercenaries."

Kage sighed and pulled out his computer. "Guess I'd better check for any reports from the other teams." He logged onto the secure internet connection and entered the Resistance e-mail center. He opened one message and upon reading it, sighed.

"What's wrong?" Yutaka checked.

"Minmei Chen of the Taiwan force wrote to inform us of a shipment of refugees and raw recruits traveling through the Digital World. They need an escort team to greet them in Tokyo, but frankly, I'm too tired to take it myself."

"What about everyone else?" Osamu asked.

"I _could _call Takuya and Junpei, but I need them to finish organizing everything for the University. Izumi's on duty with Miyagami, and Tomoki's too young for a mission on his own. And you two deserve some rest after what you just went through—same for you, Osamu, since your Light Seed needs to recharge or whatever." He groaned. "There are only two left that aren't busy with something."

"Idiot and dumbass?" Yutaka guessed.

"Yep." To Osamu, Kage clarified, "Reiji Takamoto and Ataru Kikuchi—the last two people I'd put my trust in for this, but the only two that can do it."

* * *

Two convicted men stood in the nearest train station to the Mt. Fuji Resistance branch's home base. They had to escort the refugees and new fighters to the Fuji Resistance force unharmed. But neither bothered to dream about getting back in good graces with their commander. That was a pipe dream they'd given up long ago. 

Ataru Kikuchi, the first of the unforgiven black sheep, looked somewhat bored as he stood beside the platform. His crime was disrespect, and he was guilty in the first degree of being asinine. He had refused to care about how hard it was for the Chosen Children to fight one of their friends, and he blamed Kouji for not doing something to stop Kouichi. Even now, he refused to accept crippling traumatic grief as an adequate excuse not to join the fight.

Reiji Takamoto looked a lot less cynical and a lot more shamed. Guilty of stupidity in the first degree and attempted murder in the second, he was a criminal and a terrorist with a reputation worse than the Kaiser's. He'd given up on trying to raise in the eyes of his peers, but he still hoped that maybe one day, his best friend would stop looking at him like he was a monster. This could possibly be his last chance.

"Taking a while, isn't it?" Takamoto asked idly, trying to break the silence.

"Meh," Ataru replied, shrugging it off. "It'll be here when it gets here. Not like this is anything important to begin with. We're only here because Kage couldn't spare anyone else."

Silence returned. Neither would speak to the other again. It was odd, though, and quite: The motivation behind their crimes were direct opposites, yet they shared the same sentence.

The Trailmon finally arrived, and with it, the throngs of Digimon and humans aboard that were chattering nervously in Chinese. Ataru stepped forward and announced in English, "Everybody, calm down!" At the sound of his voice, they did. "Good. I'm Ataru Kikuchi, and this is Reiji Takamoto. We're here to escort you to the Resistance settlement. We're going to leave in small groups at a time, so if there are any families, get yourselves together now and keep a close eye on your children. Also, if there are any Digimon willing to help as guides, we'd really appreciate the help."

A Turiemon, a Fladramon, two Kyuukimon, and a Mystimon stepped forward to volunteer. Ataru thanked them and with the help of Mystimon's magic, created a map for the others to memorize so they'd know what path to take to the checkpoints.

"All right, thank you all for your help. If everybody's separated into their respective families, we'll start. Anyone who's not with their family, we'll put you in one or create a group for you," Ataru notified. "We're going to try to make this as quick and painless as possible. One group will go out at a time, and when the guide comes back, we'll send another. The other guides and I have earphones, so we can keep in contact in case anything goes wrong. Any questions?" No hands went up. "Good. I'll lead the first group. Everyone keep hidden until I tell you the coast is clear." He walked to the elevator, gun ready, and entered, ushering his group to stay toward the sides, where they'd be shielded. A few minutes passed before Takamoto and the guides heard Ataru's voice in their ears, saying, "All clear. Next group, get ready and secure the elevator." Takamoto nodded and pointed to one of the Kyuukimon to advance. Once the lift was secured, they went up to wait and make sure nothing happened.

"Second group, lift and station secure so far," Kyuukimon informed

"Try and be discreet," Takamoto warned. "Not all humans are used to seeing Digimon wandering around the city."

"All right."

Less than twenty minutes later, Ataru returned and the cycle started again. The first Kyuukimon and his group went out, and Mystimon's team awaited their turn. When he returned, Mystimon led her team out and Takamoto waited.

"You remember where to go, right?" Ataru checked. He'd done the same with the other guides, but it never hurt to be completely positive.

"Yeah," Takamoto answered with a nod. "Checkpoint Lambda in the southeast."

"All right," Ataru replied, satisfied with the answer. "Mystimon?"

"Mission complete," she informed. "I'm heading back."

"No teleportation spells," Ataru warned. "If the Kaiser can track tesseracts, I don't want him finding us."

"All right."

Sometime later, she returned and Takamoto's team went out. The station was full of people, but none were with the Imperial Guard. And no one paid much attention to the group of people exiting the elevator. It was all routine, ordinary everyday life.  
They slipped out of the station and entered the street, where people were bustling by. The father picked up his son and hefted him on his shoulders so the child wouldn't get lost. But as he got up, the boy dropped his toy fire engine. He cried out as it was about to smash on the ground, but someone caught it before that happened.

"Here you go," the man commented, handing it to the boy.

"Thank you," the father answered.

Takamoto paled and turned in dread. That tiny snippet of a conversation had been in English. How had someone known that the refugees didn't speak Japanese?

"What's wrong?" Ataru questioned at the sudden communications silence.

"I think we have a situation on our hands," he informed, watching a blonde man watch them with far too much interest.

"Want me to evacuate?" Ataru checked.

"Yeah, and abandon Checkpoint Lambda. I'll try and get my group to Checkpoint Theta."

"All right, Ataru out."

Takamoto removed the earphone and crushed it in his hand. The mother stared in surprise as he whirled around.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Imperials," he warned. "Change of plans. I'm getting you somewhere else. If things don't work out, just get out of here." He pulled a small clear canister of something out of his pocket. As they looked at it in confusion, he explained, "Flash bomb. If anything happens, I'll ignite it so you can run."

He quickly moved them through the streets and slipped through the back door of a restaurant. Pointing them to sit at a table next to the emergency exit, he placed a kerchief over his hair and grabbed a bin or dirty glasses.

The Imperials burst in the front as he started picking up dishes. Takamoto kept his head down, and the family buried themselves in menus. The blonde man pointed at his troops to investigate everyone, but it was going to be hard. Takamoto had specifically chosen a family restaurant, so children carrying toys in their laps was a common occurrence. Plus one of the workers was Resistance; it was safer than anything else. But if things were too dangerous, he still had his bomb as an escape plan.

"You!" shouted a soldier. Takamoto looked up to see her harassing a family with a young daughter. "Produce your identification!"

Takamoto paled again. How could he have been so stupid not to realize it? The Mt. Fuji Resistance team had gotten into the habit of carrying around false identification papers in addition to wearing dark contact lenses so that if they were stopped, they wouldn't be arrested. It was very rare that they _were_ asked, except when they had to get medicine from other towns. What a genius move, then, to send troops to demand identification when most Resistance didn't carry any!

He walked over to clean up an empty place across the room from the refugee family. A few Guardsmen were around them, not paying too much attention to the family, but they'd notice if they tried to escape. Making it look like an accident, he walked right into the blonde man as he turned around from another table. The glass fell to the floor and shattered, the sound cutting through the tense silence so suddenly that everyone looked his way. Seeing Takamoto at the center of it, the refugees lowered their gaze and prepared to move. The blonde mercenary, although irritated, bent to help clear away some of the glass so he could walk. When he did though, Takamoto had a lighter to his flash bomb.

The bomb only contained powdered magnesium, so it gave off a bright white flash that blinded everyone who had been looking in that direction, including Takamoto himself. In the resulting chaos, he had no way of knowing whether the alarm from the emergency exit was set off by an escape or by a stumbling, blind Imperial. And with the gunshots and screaming, it was hard to tell if anyone had been hurt. But it didn't matter. The blonde man recovered first and stuck a needle in Takamoto's wrist. He shouted in pain as it tore a blood vessel and penetrated a muscle, but he fell silent and unconscious very soon when the drug reached his brain. There was no saving anyone now.

* * *

Slowly, Takamoto started to wake up. First, his addled mind started to make sense of memories and sensations, and then limited conscious thought began to return. He started wondering why he'd fallen asleep in a chair—had he been that tired after his mission? Wait, why didn't he remember the outcome? And why did his wrist hurt so much? 

He opened his eyes to a dimly lit hotel room, and suddenly, everything returned to him. He tried to get up to escape and find Ataru and the refugees, but he found that he was tightly chained to a chair. Worse, the more he struggled to free his hand, the sharper the pain in his wrist became as the broken needle dug itself deeper into his muscles. He winced and let out a small cry of pain before finally stopping.

"Well, glad to see you're finally awake," commented the blonde man. He leaned into the dim light, revealing his features. Takamoto knew without a doubt that this was the man everyone at the Railroad spoke of with contempt: Colonel Reiyama.

"Now," Reiyama continued, holding up a pitcher of water, "we're going to play a little game." He dumped it all over Takamoto before pulling out the wires in a lamp. He let the two exposed ends touch, showing off the electrical spark between them. "Give me an answer I like, and you'll just be wet. If I _don't _like your answer…" He placed the wires against Takamoto's arm. The young man shouted in pain at the electrical shock, amplified by the steel chains and the needle in his wrist. "Do we understand each other?"

Takamoto moaned and barely whispered, "Got it." He wasn't planning on giving any real answers, and if what he'd heard was right, Reiyama got a sadistic pleasure out of other people being in intense physical or emotional pain. He would just keep saying he wasn't satisfied until he got bored of the tortured and decided to try something new.

_No wonder he's the Kaiser's right-hand man,_ Takamoto realized.

"And don't even try to hope that your screams will attract attention downstairs," Reiyama warned. "I had a Doumon put up wards. No sound can escape those spells. No one's coming to your rescue. It's just you and me." Looking at him, Takamoto realized there wasn't a fate any worse. Was this what he deserved for what he'd done?

* * *

Kage looked at his computer again, this time with a mixture of confusion and aggravation. The four Chosen were with him and simultaneously raised eyebrows at his groans. 

"What is it?" Tomoki asked.

"Checkpoint Alpha called in," he informed. "They shouldn't have gotten any refugees—I specifically told those idiots to use Lambda or Theta. What did they screw up this time?"

"Want us to go check it out?" Junpei checked.

"In a second," he replied. "I want to see their excuse." He opened his next message and skimmed through it, his face becoming whiter with each word.

"What happened?" Takuya questioned.

"Reiyama," he answered. The Warriors shared worried glances. Kage's last run-in with him hadn't been as bad as it could have been, but he was still haunted by his inability to do anything against the man who killed his father.

Izumi quickly asked, "What do you want us to do?"

"Reiyama has Takamoto. I'm going to let Miyagami know and then pick up Kikuchi and the refugees. You guys scout out the area. Takuya, you're field commander from here on. Figure out who's best for what and go."

"All right," Takuya decided, resettling immediately into his old leader position. "As much as I hate doing it, we'll have to split up, using the station as the centerpoint. Junpei, evolve to Blitzmon and take the north. Izumi, use Fairymon's form and take east. Tomoki, jump from building to building as Blizzarmon and head west. I'll go as Vritramon south. If anyone sees anything, send off a signal by attacking in the air. Junpei and I can do that easiest, but Izumi can blow all the clouds away from her area and Tomoki can revert to Chakra and start freezing the air. I think we can all notice that if we look hard enough." They nodded in agreement. "All right then. Let's head to Centerpoint first, then spread out form there."

Kage, meanwhile, walked to Miyagami's quarters. His face was still pallid, and he still felt sick with regret over his freezing at the sight of Reiyama. This pallor, already shifting from white to gray, did not escape Chideta Miyagami's notice.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Takamoto was captured. From the descriptions the witnesses and refugees gave, we can safely assume that his captor was Colonel Reiyama."

"The Kaiser's second-in-command?" Kage nodded. "What can we do?"

"First, we're going to retrieve Kikuchi and the refugees at Checkpoints Alpha and Theta. Then we wait for the Chosen to locate Takamoto."

"Oh, God," Miyagami moaned as he placed his head in his hands. "All this time I was afraid of Reiji—after his bacterium got Yutaka sick. I didn't think to be afraid _for _him."

"As far as I can tell, Reiyama has no idea that Takamoto created that bacterium," Kage assured. "Osamu told the Kaiser that the creator was dead. I don't know if he believed it, but I have no reason to believe that he or his lieutenants suspect Takamoto."

"Okay," he replied. Slowly, as if he'd aged twenty years in just those two minutes, he walked to the door and followed Kage out. They had a lot of regrets to take care of.

* * *

"I'm getting impatient," Reiyama growled, pulling the wires away. Takamoto took a few shaky breaths. Most of the water on him had already been replaced with sweat. He wasn't sure how long he'd be able to keep this up. 

"Told you…" he breathed, "all I know."

"I don't believe you," Reiyama answered. "I've only kept you alive so I can question you. That's why I gave you that watered-down tranquilizer so you'd only be out for an hour or two. But I can always give you the full dose and take you to the Kaiser. I can assure you he's far less merciful than I am."

"No doubt." Reiyama shocked him again, and he shouted again. How much longer would this take? He was starting to think that dying would be a lot better.

"I was hoping to avoid using this," Reiyama commented, taking out a steel briefcase. "But if you're just going to continue resisting, I have few other options left." Inside were headphones and what looked like a steel visor. "Sensory disorientation. It's more psychological than physical, and I normally try to avoid inflicting mental scars because they're so hard to take care of, but physical scars don't seem to work much on you."

He placed the visor and headphones on the barely struggling Takamoto and powered up the machine. He expected the young man to break in no longer than ten minutes. All he could do now was wait.

He went over to a table near the door and picked up the food and drink he'd ordered from room service some time earlier: beef curry with rice and a bottle of whiskey. He'd limit himself to one drink this time; the last time he'd gotten drunk, a slave got into Cell 24 and found the Minamoto boy. He was not going to let anything like that happen again.

A little more than five minutes into dinner, and Reiyama heard whimpers from Takamoto It was nearly impossible to tell time under that thing; those five minutes must have felt like ten. He grinned and took a sip of his whiskey. The sounds of someone losing the fight made everything taste so much better.

Another ten minutes and half a glass of whiskey later, and Reiyama's pleasure hit its highest point. Takamoto was very audibly crying and shouting. He'd all but completely broken. Reiyama got up, picked up the telephone, and dialed the Kaiser.

"What is it?"

"I have captured a member of the Resistance. I believe he may be able to tell me where some sympathizers recently escaped from Taiwan are hiding."

"The Resistance will be after him."

"I took extra precautions to cover my trail."

"I don't care!" the Kaiser shouted on the other end. "They're too smart for this—no matter how much you underestimate them. They're always one step ahead of us. If they show up, forget the prisoner and run. They'll be too busy tending for one of their own to go after you. I know how they think."

Reiyama scowled. "Yes, my lord."

"Good."

Reiyama slammed down the receiver, knowing he'd pay for his rudeness later. What did that boy know? He was barely twelve! He had no business ruling the world and acting as though he was far older than eleven. If not for that debt Reiyama owed him, he'd…

A bright flash of lightning illuminated the sky, yet there were no storm clouds. Reiyama swore and ran to the window, spotting a dark figure hovering amidst the light. A Chosen Child, the Warrior of Thunder. Fire, Wind, and Ice would soon follow.

Forgetting both the prisoner and his irritation with the Kaiser, Reiyama dashed out of the room and down the stairs, smelling the distinct burnt stench of ozone as he exited the building. The air was still electrified, and Blitzmon was waiting above the hotel. Reiyama decided to avoid a confrontation and any further burns (he rubbed the one on his neck from the flame bullets as he considered this) by slipping into the darker passageways and sneaking away.

Although he knew he was more than powerful enough to enter the hotel, take out Reiyama, and rescue Takamoto, Blitzmon waited in the sky, even letting Reiyama escape through the alleys. Takuya was field commander and had ordered them to wait. The last time someone had gone in alone… Even if things hadn't turned out as they'd thought, Junpei was not going to put his friends through that kind of pain again.

_We didn't think Kouichi was dangerous then, but with what he did to Kouji…_ he recalled, trying to push the memories away. His friend was still alive, but in some ways, he would have been better off dead.

_I'll just wait,_ he decided. _Reiyama's_ _too dangerous for me to try to handle alone, even in Digimon form. We'll get him next time._

It took five minutes for the others to get there. Like Blitzmon, they were able to sense Doumon's magical wards around the hotel, the ones that gave away its location. Kage's choice of tactical field crew was perfect; the Warriors were more sensitive to changes in nature than most humans, and as Digimon, they could detect the spells in the air. Reiyama hadn't expected it.

"Izumi, air is your specialty," Vritramon pointed out. "What can you find out from the spells?"

"They're isolated to one room. I don't know what they are, but I don't think they're alarms. They're keeping the air too still for that. There's almost no vibration in there."

"Sounds like silencers to me," Blitzmon judged.

"Then somebody didn't want to be heard by anyone else!" Blizzarmon surmised.

"All right," Vritramon decided, "we'll have to assume Takamoto's in there as well as innocent people. We have to keep the damage as minimal as possible. Junpei, knock out the electricity. Keep people locked in their rooms. Tomoki, use your axes to break down the door. Then Izumi, devolve and administer any first aid. I'll provide cover. Slide Evolution! Agnimon!"

He dropped to the ground as silently as possible, just managing to avoid notice. Blitzmon then struck the building with lightning, knocking out the power and the unlocking mechanism on the doors of the suites. Agnimon then ran inside, using only physical attacks on the people in the lobby. It wasn't as easy as using his elemental attacks, but he wanted a minimum of injuries.

Once he was finished, he signaled the others to come inside. Blizzarmon had to bend over and keep himself as small as possible as they rushed up the stairs. Agnimon was in front, scouting everything and knocking out anyone they encountered. Blitzmon was at the very back, covering their flank. There wasn't much he had to do, though. Takuya's plan had taken a lot into account, and few people managed to escape the Warrior of Fire. Junpei only had to take on a couple of people who'd woken up—that was it.

_He's really changed, _he acknowledged. _He's grown up. He isn't throwing everything away on an undeveloped plan, and he's learned how to come up with something that will work out for everyone. And he's thinking on his feet. It's too bad that Kouji's beyond caring about anything. He'd have loved to have seen this last year._

It was strange how "last year" seemed like such a long time ago and their one year of friendship felt like it had always been. It was strange how adult he felt despite having just turned thirteen. Somehow, now, everything that had once been normal for him felt strange, and what had once been strange was now normal. And that was a strange though.

"Izumi, this floor?" Agnimon asked. The last few times he had, she'd answered with a "No, not yet. A little further." But not this time.

She nodded and replied, "This is it. Fourth door from the elevator, to the right, facing the elevator."

"All right then," Agnimon replied, bursting open the stairwell door. This time, there was nobody roaming around. Everyone on the higher floors had taken the stairs and were now unconscious.

They ran toward the room Fairymon indicated, and Blizzarmon took his axes to the door. As the door fell in a heap of splinters, the Warriors cautiously entered, checking constantly while on guard to attack. When all they found was a drenched Takamoto chained to a chair and hooked up to sensory deprivation equipment, they rushed inside and Izumi devolved to help. She ripped off the visor and headphones while Agnimon melted the chains open.

"Takamoto, calm down for a second," Izumi pleaded as he took breath in convulsing gulps. "Can you tell us what happened?"

"He drugged me," Takamoto breathed. "Brought me here while I was out. An hour or two. Electrocuted me, then used that thing."

"I don't think I can treat him for anything right now," Izumi warned. "I should try and stabilize him, but we need to get him to the hospital. They can do better."

"Needle in my arm," Takamoto warned as she bandaged it. "Only thing that kept me sane."

"The doctors will need to take it out," she realized. "But I want you to keep it bandaged for now. It's pretty brutally jabbed in there, and it looks like it might be infected already. I don't want to take any more chances."

Takuya devolved and checked the window. Below, people were walking past the building. He wasn't going to risk their safety by shattering the glass.

"I'm going to Double Spirit evolve and melt the window. Junpei, you take Takamoto, and we'll cover you if we have to. Izumi, I'd feel better if you used your B-Spirit. Shutumon's faster and more powerful if anything happens. Tomoki, shift you your H-Spirit so she can carry you out. Everybody got it?" They nodded, and Blitzmon carefully picked up Takamoto. "Good. Double Spirit Evolution! Ardhamon!"

"Spirit Evolution! Shutumon!"

"Slide Evolve! Chakmon!"

Ardhamon sized up the window and carefully gathered his power, shouting "Brahma Sutra!" The attack melted a hole in the glass big enough or them to get through, yet caused no damage to the walls or the floor. Once again, Blitzmon marveled at the changes in his friend.

_He's controlled himself and his power that well. Kouji would _really _be proud._

But once again, he willed the thought away. The mission was complete; they were going home. There would be plenty of time to reminisce later. After all, they were still alive.

**Inspiration for all of Reiyama's torture tactics came from season four of _24,_ where Jack uses the same electrocution technique with the two wires from a lamp on Paul Raines. The sensory disorientation was used by Erin Driscoll on Sarah, thinking she's been helping Jack against orders. Checkpoints Lambda and Theta come from two servers on the _.hack_ videogames. And, yes, according to my high school chemistry textbook, magnesium does produce a bright white flash. That's why it used to be used in one-time-use flashbulbs for cameras.**

**Note: This story is discontinued. I have tried to finish it, but I realize that I have really fallen out of the _Digimon_ fandom, so there's little point in pushing myself to continue.**


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